NYK 138, PHI 89: Jose Alvarado Fantasy Goldmine: 63 ESPN FP
Sarah Kowalski
Orthopedic Nurse ยท Milwaukee Bucks fan
The Knicks Just Reminded Everyone Why the 76ers Are in Trouble
A 49-point blowout. Let me say that again. The New York Knicks just walked into Philadelphia and dropped a 138-89 hammer on the 76ers, and if you're holding Philadelphia assets, this game should terrify you. This wasn't a close game that got away. This was a clinic on what happens when one team shows up and the other doesn't.
For fantasy purposes, this has massive implications. Joel Embiid and Paul George played zero minutes. That's not injury report stuff we're getting from official channels yet, but two All-NBA caliber guys sitting out a blowout loss? The 76ers have serious problems right now, and we need to talk about it.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Alvarado | 63.0 | 48.6 | 26/3/4 | 7.9/2.7/3.1 | +18.1 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 50.0 | 45.7 | 21/11/5 | 19.8/11.9/2.9 | +1.2 |
| Mikal Bridges | 47.0 | 41.0 | 22/5/6 | 15.8/4.2/4.0 | +6.2 |
| Tyrese Maxey | 38.0 | 39.4 | 32/2/2 | 28.8/4.2/6.8 | +3.2 |
| Josh Hart | 29.0 | 29.9 | 6/7/9 | 12.3/7.6/5.1 | -6.3 |
| Mitchell Robinson | 31.0 | 29.2 | 11/6/0 | 4.8/8.9/1.0 | +6.2 |
| Dominick Barlow | 30.0 | 26.3 | 13/4/1 | 8.4/5.0/1.2 | +4.6 |
| Mohamed Diawara | 29.0 | 25.0 | 14/5/2 | 2.5/1.1/0.5 | +11.5 |
| VJ Edgecombe | 20.0 | 23.8 | 14/4/2 | 14.9/5.4/4.2 | -0.9 |
| Landry Shamet | 25.0 | 19.7 | 9/1/5 | 9.6/1.9/1.4 | -0.6 |
Jose Alvarado Just Changed the Conversation
Look, I don't even know where to start with Jose Alvarado. This guy went absolutely nuclear. 26 points on 8-13 shooting with 8 three-pointers in 18 minutes. That's 48.6 Yahoo points in less than half a game. He's a 2.8% owned depth piece who just put up an All-Star caliber fantasy performance.
Here's the thing though: in a 49-point blowout, Alvarado's role was inflated. The Knicks were playing garbage time basketball by the second quarter. In a normal game, does he touch 18 minutes? Probably not. Does he get to launch eight threes? Absolutely not. This was opportunistic scoring in a game that was already decided.
But I'm not writing this off completely. Alvarado showed elite shooting and he was aggressive. If the Knicks ever need depth scoring, he can fill that role. For now though, I'm pumping the brakes on adding him everywhere. Wait and see how many minutes he gets in a close game before you burn a waiver wire claim on a bench scorer.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges Showed Up
Karl-Anthony Towns put up 21/11/5 with solid efficiency (8-13 FG) in 25 minutes. That's exactly what you want from an All-NBA third team guy. He wasn't asked to do much because the game was out of hand, but when he was on the floor, he was efficient. His 45.7 Yahoo points came from solid production without needing to force anything.
Mikal Bridges had 22/5/6 with 2 steals in 28 minutes. All-NBA second team energy. The Knicks were rolling and he was part of it. This is a dude who's been rock solid all year, and nothing changes. He's a reliable player in a lineup that's clicking right now.
The Real Story: What's Wrong in Philadelphia?
Here's where I need to be direct because my league-mates know I'm from Wisconsin and I don't do a lot of Sixers takes unless it matters. This 49-point loss matters.
Tyrese Maxey scored 32 points on 11 FT attempts. That's basically his entire offense running in a blowout. He put up 39.4 Yahoo points, which is fine, but it came in a losing effort where everyone else on the roster was getting cooked. All-NBA second team guys shouldn't have to score 32 to stay competitive if your stars are in the game.
The fact that Embiid and George both sat this one out is concerning. I'm an orthopedic nurse, so rest games aren't crazy to me. But you don't sit two of your three best players in a game unless something's bothering them or management is waving the white flag. Either way, it's not a good look.
Kelly Oubre Jr. was the canary in the coal mine. He went 0-6 from the field for 2 points in 30 minutes. That's -12.3 from his season average. When your role players are getting destroyed to that degree, it's not just a bad game. It's a systemic issue.
The Knicks Are Built Different Right Now
Josh Hart had a weird box score: 6/7/9 in 29 minutes but only 2-9 from the field. He made up for it with assists and rebounding. The Knicks are doing the thing where they can win games even when guys aren't shooting well, because depth and ball movement are carrying them. That's playoff basketball DNA.
Mitchell Robinson was efficient in 15 minutes, 11/6 with 4 blocks. He didn't have to do heavy lifting, but when called upon, he was solid. This is a guy who's been undervalued all year because of limited minutes, but in these blowouts, he shows why the Knicks like him. Still not worth adding yet, but file this away.
Bottom Line
This game doesn't change your core decisions. Maxey stays rostered. KAT stays rostered. Bridges stays rostered. Hart stays rostered.
What it DOES change is your confidence in the 76ers. They got embarrassed at home. If this becomes a pattern, then you start thinking about selling high on Maxey's workload (he's gonna have to score 35 to win games if the supporting cast keeps looking like this). You absolutely avoid adding any Philadelphia role players right now until we see what's actually going on with that roster construction.
And Jose Alvarado? Leave him on waivers. This was a beautiful game, but it was a mirage created by garbage time. Don't chase it.