LAC 105, HOU 102: Kawhi Leonard Outduels Alperen Sengun in Fantasy Showdown
Tyler Okonkwo
Student & Retail Associate ยท Houston Rockets fan
Kawhi Takes Over Late, Clippers Steal One in Houston
Man, this one stings. Not because the Rockets didn't have chances, but because they had this game and let it slip away. Kawhi Leonard showed up when it mattered most, dropping 27/12/4 on efficient shooting (9-20 FG, 8-9 FT) to lead the Clippers to a 105-102 win. That's 55.4 Yahoo fantasy points, and honestly, he earned every bit of it down the stretch.
But here's the thing about tonight, and I hate saying this as a Rockets fan, the story isn't just about what the Clippers did. It's about what the Rockets didn't do when they had their opportunities. Let me break down what actually mattered in fantasy terms.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kawhi Leonard | 53.0 | 55.4 | 27/12/4 | 27.9/6.4/3.7 | -0.9 |
| Alperen Sengun | 41.0 | 42.8 | 16/9/6 | 20.7/9.4/6.3 | -4.7 |
| Bennedict Mathurin | 35.0 | 35.1 | 16/3/3 | 17.4/5.4/2.3 | -1.4 |
| Kevin Durant | 30.0 | 34.6 | 21/8/6 | 25.8/5.3/4.4 | -4.8 |
| Brook Lopez | 41.0 | 31.7 | 15/1/3 | 6.8/2.6/1.0 | +8.2 |
| Reed Sheppard | 35.0 | 29.4 | 17/2/4 | 12.7/2.6/3.0 | +4.3 |
| Kris Dunn | 37.0 | 29.4 | 16/2/6 | 8.0/2.9/3.4 | +8.0 |
| Jabari Smith Jr. | 26.0 | 28.4 | 16/12/0 | 15.2/7.1/1.8 | +0.8 |
| Amen Thompson | 28.0 | 26.7 | 12/6/5 | 17.6/7.6/5.4 | -5.6 |
| Derrick Jones Jr. | 33.0 | 26.7 | 12/1/3 | 10.0/2.5/1.2 | +2.0 |
Where the Rockets Failed to Close
Amen Thompson coming in at 26.7 Yahoo points is the real story here, and not in a good way. Dude was on the floor for 40 minutes but pulled up -5.6 from his season average (17.6 ppg). In a three-point game, when your primary ball handler is underperforming at that scale, you lose. He got his 5 assists, but 12 points on 5-8 shooting in 40 minutes isn't it. You need him at 20 minimum in a game this tight.
Alperen Sengun (42.8 FP) is getting a minus here too. Sixteen points on 7-16 shooting? That's not efficient enough for your center in a one-possession loss. He was -4.7 from his season average, and those are the possessions you remember in February when playoff seeding matters.
The real gut punch is Jabari Smith Jr. going 16/12 in 35 minutes. Look at that line, 28.4 Yahoo points, and the Rockets still don't win. He added the boards late, but this is a guy who should've been dominant with Kevin Durant drawing attention. Instead he went 6-12. Durant himself hit 21/8/6 for 34.6 Yahoo points, but again, those numbers don't mean much when the final score has a Clippers W.
Clippers' Bench Went Stupid
This is the part that should concern you if you had Clippers pieces. Brook Lopez (31.7 FP) exploded for 15/1/3 with 3 threes in 37 minutes. He's coming off a season average of 6.8 ppg. That's a +8.2 outlier night, and it might not repeat. But Kris Dunn (29.4 FP) going 16/2/6 with 4 threes is the kind of game where a deep bench rotation guy gets his moment. He was +8.0 from his season average (8.0 ppg).
Bennedict Mathurin carried the scoring load for most of the game at 35.1 Yahoo, going 16/3/3 with 3 steals. That's workable, though he hit 9 free throws to pad the stats. Good luck getting that FT volume every night.
What This Means for Waiver Wire
Steven Adams getting dropped is wild, but I get it. He went 0-0-0 on 0 minutes, probably load management or rotation cuts. If you got him cheap in a waiver claim, you might want to let him go rather than waste a bench spot on uncertainty. That ownership drop to 2.1% is about as low as it gets.
The Rockets' role guys like Tari Eason (18.9 FP) and Clint Capela (21 FP) are what they are, depth pieces that eat tonight because it was close. Don't get excited. Eason shot 4-13 and happened to hit 2 threes. That's not repeatable.
The Bottom Line
The Clippers won on execution, and Kawhi was the difference maker. If you own him, you're happy. If you own any of the Houston core, you're frustrated because they had this game and couldn't finish. The margins in fantasy are thin, and three points might as well be 30 when you're looking at week-to-week performance. Sengun, Thompson, and Smith Jr. all had their moments but couldn't put it together when it mattered. That's a loss you feel in your lineup Monday morning.