LAC 130, IND 107: LAC Runs Away as Kawhi Leonard Posts 44.6 Yahoo FP
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student ยท Dallas Mavericks fan
Clippers Cruise Past Pacers, Kawhi Stays Locked In While Role Players Step Up
Final: Clippers 130, Pacers 107
The Clippers handled business last night, and if you had Kawhi Leonard on your squad, you cashed a nice ticket. But the real story here isn't just about the reigning MVP doing MVP things. It's about the depth guys stepping up when it matters, and the Pacers rolling out a lineup that looked like a G League roster by the end.
Let's talk about who actually went off.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kawhi Leonard | 50.0 | 44.6 | 29/8/2 | 27.9/6.4/3.7 | +1.1 |
| Bennedict Mathurin | 50.0 | 43.6 | 23/8/4 | 18.1/5.6/2.4 | +4.9 |
| Pascal Siakam | 37.0 | 36.5 | 29/5/1 | 24.0/6.7/3.9 | +5.0 |
| Jarace Walker | 29.0 | 28.5 | 17/5/5 | 11.1/4.9/2.3 | +5.9 |
| Jay Huff | 32.0 | 27.5 | 18/5/1 | 9.1/3.8/1.3 | +8.9 |
| Darius Garland | 30.0 | 26.8 | 12/4/8 | 17.5/2.5/6.8 | -5.5 |
| Isaiah Jackson | 31.0 | 26.8 | 10/4/2 | 6.2/5.1/0.8 | +3.8 |
| Brook Lopez | 26.0 | 23.6 | 17/3/2 | 7.4/3.0/1.1 | +9.6 |
| Derrick Jones Jr. | 23.0 | 21.4 | 12/2/0 | 10.9/2.8/1.2 | +1.1 |
| Kris Dunn | 21.0 | 18.7 | 6/6/3 | 8.0/3.2/3.6 | -2.0 |
The Clippers' Depth Flex
Kawhi did his thing on 10-18 shooting with a perfect 6-6 from the line. 44.6 Yahoo points in just 23 minutes though, which is the real flex. He didn't need to play heavy minutes because LA's depth stepped up hard.
Bennedict Mathurin (43.6 Yahoo FP) went absolutely nuclear. 23 points on 8-11 shooting in 21 minutes? That's not a coincidence. That's not "oh he had a good night." That's a player getting real opportunity and capitalizing. He came into the season averaging 18.1 PPG and finished tonight at +4.9 scoring versus his average. In a blowout situation, he was one of the few players LA actually needed to lean on.
Brook Lopez (23.6 Yahoo FP) is your bad beat alert though. The dude dropped 17 points on 7-12 shooting and is sitting at +9.6 versus his season average of just 7.4 PPG. He's been a bum all season averaging 7 points a night, and suddenly he's catching 21 minutes and putting up efficient buckets. Was this a minutes spike in a blowout or did something actually change? Probably the former, so don't get weird about adding him in 10-team leagues thinking he's suddenly a fantasy asset.
The Pacers Got Cooked
Pascal Siakam (36.5 Yahoo FP) tried to drag Indy to relevance with 29 points and perfect free throw shooting (12-14). The dude was +5.0 scoring versus his average. He showed up. The problem? Nobody else did.
Jarace Walker (28.5 Yahoo FP) chipped in 17/5/5 and went +5.9 scoring, but he's still just a 11.1 PPG average guy. The Pacers needed real production and got role player numbers.
Jay Huff had one of those weird nights where he went full baller off the bench. 18 points on 7-13 shooting with four threes? That's 27.5 Yahoo points in 25 minutes. He's a 9.1 PPG season average guy, so this was +8.9 versus normal. In a blowout where the Pacers are desperate, sure, but don't expect this to repeat.
Darius Garland was the actual flop. 12/4/8 sounds fine until you realize he's a 17.5 PPG guy and came in at -5.5 scoring. In a game where the Pacers got blown out, your primary playmaker still needs to score. He didn't.
The Real Issue
The Pacers looked like they had lineup issues from jump. Andrew Nembhard was straight up unplayable (5/4/5) when he's supposed to be a 17.2 PPG guy, hitting -12.2 versus his average. The bench guys had to carry water all night. Aaron Nesmith went 1-8 from the field. Obi Toppin barely touched the court. This wasn't a competitive game, which means fantasy scoring got weird because the Clippers could just cruise and the Pacers had to chuck up desperation buckets late.
What You Do Now
If you own Kawhi, you already knew what you had. Still elite, still efficient, still the move. The Clippers have enough depth that he doesn't need to go off for 40 points to win games, which is actually the dream scenario for playoff fantasy.
Mathurin is worth keeping tabs on. If he's getting this kind of usage going forward, he's a league-winner type pickup depending on your league size. 43.6 Yahoo points from a 18.1 PPG guy is exactly the kind of production swing that wins you playoff games.
Don't panic about the Pacers unless this becomes a pattern. One bad night doesn't kill your season, but if Garland keeps checking out like that, that's a real concern worth monitoring. Siakam showed he can carry a load when needed, so he's still got league value even when the supporting cast disappears.