NYK 110, GSW 107: Jalen Brunson Breaks Out for 55 ESPN FP
Marcus Thompson Jr.
Fire Lieutenant ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Jalen Brunson Put the Team on His Back, But It Still Wasn't Enough
Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. Watching my Warriors lose at home to the Knicks stung. But here's what hurts more as a fantasy guy: seeing how close we came and knowing the bench depth that showed up tonight is exactly why New York is dangerous down the stretch.
Jalen Brunson carried that Knicks team like he was running a one-man operation. 30 points on 9-20 shooting, 10-10 from the line, 9 assists in 35 minutes. That's not just good, that's pick-carrying-the-team good. He went +3.7 from his season average, which doesn't sound like much until you remember he's already averaging 26.3 a night. The man was efficient when it mattered. 50.7 Yahoo FP is the kind of game that wins you weeks in head-to-head matchups.
But here's the thing nobody's talking about: Karl-Anthony Towns had to do the heavy lifting on the glass. 17 points and 12 boards in 30 minutes. Yeah, he was -3.0 on scoring, but that's the trade-off when Brunson is hunting every shot. Towns gave what the team needed in that moment, not what his season average suggests he should give. That's the sign of a veteran who knows his role can shift.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Brunson | 55.0 | 50.7 | 30/1/9 | 26.3/3.5/6.6 | +3.7 |
| Brandin Podziemski | 43.0 | 42.0 | 25/5/6 | 12.8/5.2/3.7 | +12.2 |
| Gary Payton II | 51.0 | 41.2 | 19/6/4 | 6.3/3.4/1.6 | +12.7 |
| Gui Santos | 43.0 | 39.9 | 20/7/7 | 7.7/3.7/2.0 | +12.3 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 36.0 | 37.4 | 17/12/2 | 20.0/11.9/2.9 | -3.0 |
| Quinten Post | 41.0 | 35.1 | 22/3/3 | 7.6/4.1/1.4 | +14.4 |
| Mitchell Robinson | 32.0 | 29.0 | 4/10/0 | 5.3/8.9/0.9 | -1.3 |
| Josh Hart | 28.0 | 27.9 | 7/12/5 | 11.8/7.6/5.1 | -4.8 |
| Mikal Bridges | 21.0 | 21.6 | 7/3/2 | 15.0/4.1/3.9 | -8.0 |
| OG Anunoby | 20.0 | 19.3 | 14/4/1 | 16.7/5.3/2.2 | -2.7 |
Now let me talk about my Warriors and why this game hurt different. Brandin Podziemski absolutely went off for 42 Yahoo FP on 25/5/6 with solid efficiency. +12.2 from his season average is exactly the kind of performance that makes you think he's finally turning a corner. Problem is, it didn't matter. Gary Payton II gave us 41.2 Yahoo FP with 19 points and 6 boards, which is basically twice what we ask from him on a good night. Gui Santos and Quinten Post both had monster games off the bench, combining for 75 Yahoo FP.
And we still lost by 3.
The Knicks bench depth was the story. Josh Hart grabbed 12 boards with limited touches (5 rebounds on just 3 FG makes), and Mitchell Robinson was efficient when healthy at 2-2 shooting with 10 boards in limited time. That's old-school, boring, championship-caliber basketball. Guys doing the dirty work.
Mikal Bridges is the only real concern from the Knicks side. 7 points on 3-10 shooting, -8.0 from his season average. That's the All-NBA guy underperforming at exactly the moment you need him to show up. If he stays in that funk, New York's got problems down the line.
OG Anunoby picked up an ownership bump for a reason, though his 19.3 FP didn't scream elite. He hit his free throws (6-6) and got to 14 points on solid shooting. He's becoming a reliable mid-range scorer for them.
Here's what this loss tells me about the Warriors: bench depth saved us from a total disaster, but we're missing something up top. The fact that role guys stepped up and we still couldn't close should worry anyone with Warriors players. This team needs to figure out if the core depth is enough or if something bigger needs to change.
For your fantasy purposes, Brunson stays locked in. His ownership is probably climbing, but he's worth every percentage point. Towns is a hold if you've got him, especially on nights when Brunson goes nuclear. The Knicks role guys, Hart especially, are becoming more predictable week-to-week as their offensive system clicks.
My bench core put up nearly 170 Yahoo FP combined tonight and we still came up empty. That's the Knicks difference right now, not one guy. They're built like the teams that win in May, which is both impressive and annoying as a Warriors fan.