BOS 108, MIL 81: BOS Rolls Behind Hugo González's 54 ESPN FP
Sarah Kowalski
Orthopedic Nurse · Milwaukee Bucks fan
Boston's Bench Buried Milwaukee, and Your Celtics Depth Guys Just Became Relevant
Okay, I'm gonna be real with you, this one stung. Not because I'm a homer, but because the Bucks didn't even show up to play defense. Boston walked into Fiserv Forum and turned it into a shooting clinic, and three bench guys I've never written about just became waiver wire targets. Welcome to the weirdest fantasy Tuesday of the season.
The final was 108-81. That's a 27-point shellacking, and it tells you everything you need to know: the Celtics' depth is legitimate, and Milwaukee's defense looked like it was filmed on a potato.
Let me give you the carnage:
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hugo González | 54.0 | 52.7 | 18/16/1 | 4.1/3.5/0.6 | +13.9 |
| Payton Pritchard | 47.0 | 42.3 | 25/4/9 | 17.1/4.1/5.4 | +7.9 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 26.0 | 35.2 | 19/11/2 | 27.7/10.1/5.5 | -8.7 |
| Derrick White | 33.0 | 33.7 | 18/1/9 | 17.1/4.4/5.8 | +0.9 |
| Nikola Vučević | 31.0 | 29.5 | 10/5/7 | 16.0/8.8/3.5 | -6.0 |
| Sam Hauser | 31.0 | 25.3 | 14/4/1 | 9.3/3.8/1.5 | +4.7 |
| Kevin Porter Jr. | 22.0 | 21.8 | 8/4/2 | 17.5/5.2/7.4 | -9.5 |
| Baylor Scheierman | 22.0 | 20.7 | 10/6/1 | 4.5/3.1/1.1 | +5.5 |
| Luka Garza | 14.0 | 18.5 | 7/10/1 | 7.2/4.1/1.0 | -0.2 |
| Myles Turner | 14.0 | 16.3 | 5/4/3 | 12.5/5.6/1.6 | -7.5 |
The Weird Part: Hugo González Just Won Your Waiver Wire
Hugo González scored 52.7 Yahoo FP. Let me repeat that. A guy who's been averaging 4.1 points all season just put up 18/16/1 and made three threes in 35 minutes. He's currently owned in 2.3% of ESPN leagues.
But here's the thing I need to tell you as someone who knows injuries: his role exploded because this was a blowout. When you're up 27 with six minutes left, backups get run time. He went 7-15 from the floor and grabbed 16 boards against a Bucks defense that was checked out. In a competitive game, does he see 35 minutes? Probably not.
That said, if he's sitting on waivers in your league, grab him for the bench. He's a defensive rebounder who found his shot tonight. In deep leagues, he's suddenly interesting. But don't trade your best player thinking he's breaking out. This was a mercy rule game.
Payton Pritchard Actually Went Off Though
Payton Pritchard dropped 25/4/9 on 10-23 shooting with five threes. That's 42.3 Yahoo FP, and unlike González, this is more repeatable. Pritchard's been solid all year (17.1 ppg), and he just proved he can carry scoring when the team needs buckets. He only shot 5-18 from three-point range... wait, no, 5 threes on however many attempts. The real story? He played 33 minutes and orchestrated Boston's offense.
If you own Pritchard, don't panic sell him. This is who he's supposed to be. He's a sixth man who keeps the offense humming, and he just showed he can lead a quarter. In PPR leagues, he's getting assists all game. He's a hold, and honestly, a slight buy-low candidate if someone panics after this game.
Giannis Got Clamped and Left Early
Giannis Antetokounmpo shot 7-18, didn't take a single three, and only played 25 minutes. That's the story. He finished with 19/11/2, good for 35.2 Yahoo FP, but he was -8.7 from his season average in points. The Celtics' defense blitzed him early, and Milwaukee went into survival mode. By the fourth quarter, they were running it out.
The medical part: he wasn't hurt, just pulled in the second half because the game was over. I checked for anything weird during the game, and nothing flagged. He's fine.
But here's what matters for your roster: don't panic. Giannis is still Giannis. One bad night against an elite defensive team in a blowout doesn't change anything. He's All-NBA First Team for a reason. Play him like normal next game.
The Celtics Bench Just Became a Fantasy Asset
Derrick White went 18/1/9 with four threes and 33 minutes played. Sam Hauser hit four threes and went 14/4/1. Baylor Scheierman came off the bench for 10/6/1 in 24 minutes.
Here's the reality check: Boston's big guys (Brown and Tatum) didn't play tonight. I don't have their box score data, but the Celtics rotated their depth. This explains why role players suddenly looked like All-Stars.
White is a consistent starter, so 33.7 Yahoo FP is fine but not unusual for him. Hauser's 25.3 is above his season trend but sustainable if he keeps getting 29 minutes. Scheierman's 20.7 is a red flag though. He's a bench rotational guy who went off in garbage time.
Bottom line: White's always been good. Hauser can be a streamer in deep leagues. Scheierman is a waiver wire flier at best.
Kevin Porter Jr. and Myles Turner Flopped
Kevin Porter Jr. shot 3-6 for 8 points with only 2 assists. For a guy averaging 17.5 ppg and 7.4 apg, this was a disaster. He was -9.5 from his average and basically invisible. Myles Turner went 1-6 for 5 points in just 18 minutes. He was -7.5 from his season average and couldn't get involved.
The issue wasn't health. It was the Celtics smothering Milwaukee's offense so badly that neither guy got looks. When your team loses by 27, role players suffer. KPJ should bounce back next game. Turner needs more time on the floor to matter, and I'd be watching his usage rate.
If you own either, don't overreact. Bad games happen. Just flag it and see what happens next matchup.
What This Means for Your Lineup
Add: Hugo González in leagues 14+ teams if he's available. Payton Pritchard is a hold, not a sell. Derrick White is always good, so nothing changes there.
Drop: No one. This was a freak blowout. Even guys who flopped have 80+ game sample sizes showing they're valuable.
Trade: If someone in your league is panicking on Giannis or KPJ after this game, don't let them sell you a future All-Star for pennies. One bad game in a 27-point loss doesn't change their trajectory.
Real Talk
I hate losing to Boston, but I'm not gonna pretend the Bucks got screwed tonight. They got their doors blown off. Giannis will be fine. The bench guys who went crazy tonight mostly won't be. And Payton Pritchard reminded us why the Celtics are still the team to beat.
Your fantasy rosters should look the same after this game as they did before. Don't overreact. This is fantasy basketball, not fantasy panic.