OKC 105, BKN 86: Michael Porter Jr. Finishes With 40 ESPN FP
Kwame Asante
Junior Accountant · Oklahoma City Thunder fan
Thunder Waltz Past Nets Without Shai, But Don't Sleep On The Bench Guys
Right, so the Thunder just demolished Brooklyn 105-86 without their reigning MVP, and honestly, this is exactly what separates contenders from pretenders. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was out, which should've been a massive problem. Instead, Oklahoma City's depth got the job done. That's the real story here.
But before we talk about what went right for the Thunder, let's address the elephant in the room: this was a proper shellacking. Nineteen-point victory margin at home against a struggling Nets side. Not exactly a championship moment, but it's the kind of win that keeps you ahead of the pack when your star is rested.
Top 10 Fantasy Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Porter Jr. | 40.0 | 44.3 | 22/9/5 | 24.7/7.2/3.2 | -2.7 |
| Isaiah Hartenstein | 36.0 | 33.6 | 10/8/4 | 10.6/9.6/3.6 | -0.6 |
| Day'Ron Sharpe | 34.0 | 31.6 | 12/8/2 | 8.5/6.7/2.3 | +3.5 |
| Cason Wallace | 27.0 | 29.8 | 8/4/6 | 8.1/3.1/2.3 | -0.1 |
| Jared McCain | 32.0 | 27.8 | 21/4/0 | 7.2/2.2/1.6 | +13.8 |
| Nolan Traore | 28.0 | 27.7 | 17/1/3 | 7.8/1.5/3.5 | +9.2 |
| Isaiah Joe | 27.0 | 25.9 | 11/7/1 | 10.5/2.6/1.4 | +0.5 |
| Egor Dëmin | 19.0 | 22.5 | 3/5/3 | 10.6/3.2/3.2 | -7.6 |
| Chet Holmgren | 20.0 | 22.4 | 15/7/2 | 17.4/8.7/1.6 | -2.4 |
| Danny Wolf | 17.0 | 19.6 | 8/3/2 | 8.4/4.7/2.1 | -0.4 |
The Nets Side: Porter Jr Worked, But That's It
Michael Porter Jr. put up 44.3 Yahoo fantasy points and carried the Nets on his back for 37 minutes. Twenty-two points, nine boards, five assists. Only -2.7 from his season average, so this was basically a typical MPJ night, not some historic explosion. He shot 6-16, which is fine, but the free throw line bailed him out hard: 9-11. That's the kind of variance that doesn't always show up.
The problem is nobody else showed up. Day'Ron Sharpe had 31.6 Yahoo points with a plus-3.5 line, which is solid, but you need help when you're down 19. Nolan Traore went absolutely mental from the free throw line (6-6) and dropped 27.7 Yahoo points with a plus-9.2 vs season average, but he was also just 5-11 from the floor. That's not sustainable. Egor Dëmin was a total non-factor, 1-10 shooting, somehow still managed 22.5 Yahoo points because of the rebound and steal production, but that's fool's gold territory.
Bottom line: Brooklyn got zero contributions from their role players. This is a tanking team now, and it showed tonight.
Thunder's Depth Flexed Hard
Jared McCain absolutely went off for 27.8 Yahoo points with a ridiculous plus-13.8 versus his season average. Seven-of-12 shooting, four threes, perfect from the line. Twenty-one points in 22 minutes. If you grabbed McCain as a lottery ticket, you got rewarded tonight. But here's the thing: he's averaging 7.2 points per game. Don't overreact to one blowout performance in garbage time. On ESPN, he scored 32 fantasy points, which matters if you're in that league, but this is a cautionary tale about chasing hot hands.
Nolan Traore had an even wilder night on the Nets, but opposite problem. Ninth-most fantasy points in the game despite going 5-11? That's floor gauge distortion. Don't add him.
Cason Wallace was the real deal for OKC. Twenty-nine point-eight Yahoo points with plus-3.7 assists versus his average. Eight points, four rebounds, six assists, four steals in 29 minutes. The kid's only averaging 2.3 dimes per game, so that six-assist night was real production, not noise. He also went 4-13 from the field, so the volume was there. Isaiah Joe wasn't bad either, 25.9 Yahoo points with plus-4.4 rebounds. Eleven points, seven boards, two threes in 21 minutes. He's averaging 2.6 boards, so that seven-board game was legit.
Chet Holmgren came off the bench and gave you 22.4 Yahoo points. Fifteen points, seven rebounds, two threes on 3-6 shooting and 7-7 from the line. He's an All-Defensive First Team player, so when he's healthy and getting minutes, he matters. Down -2.4 from his season average though, which suggests this was a relatively quiet night by his standards.
The Elephant: Where's Shai?
Right, I need to address this directly because it's going to matter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn't play. He's your reigning MVP, All-NBA First Team, and he sat out. No injury listed, so it's either load management or he actually got a rest day mid-season. Either way, if you own him, you already know this. If you're trying to trade for him, you got a reminder that depth moves matter more than always chasing the biggest name.
OKC won 105-86 without their best player. That's the Thunder's culture right now. They're not dependent on Shai going 35 points every night. They have three legitimate second units that can function.
Who to Watch Moving Forward
Cason Wallace just proved he's a legitimate streamer in 12-team leagues on nights when Shai sits. He was getting buried before tonight because of Shai's dominance, but six assists is real. If OKC keeps load-managing Shai, Wallace has serious value.
Jared McCain is still a dart throw in most formats. One game doesn't make a career, but he showed he can score in bunches. That said, in a blowout where bench players get 22 minutes, be cautious about reading too much into it.
The Nets are basically a streaming grab situation now. Michael Porter Jr. is still a top-40 fantasy asset and will get his, but everyone else is circumstantial.
The Actual Takeaway
Thunder depth is real. Nets are cooked. And sometimes the biggest fantasy lesson from a game isn't about the star players, it's about the guys who step into their roles. Look at your waiver wire tomorrow and see if Wallace or Joe are available. One blowout doesn't make them league-winners, but it tells you they can contribute when called upon.