PHX 131, MEM 105: Devin Booker Catches Fire for 36
Tyler Okonkwo
Student & Retail Associate ยท Houston Rockets fan
Suns Dismantle Grizzlies 131-105, Booker Goes Nuclear in 25 Minutes
This wasn't even close, and that's the whole story. The Phoenix Suns walked into Memphis on March 31st and executed a clinic. Final score was 131-105, and honestly, it felt worse for the Grizzlies than the scoreline suggests. When you're watching the opposing team's best player sit out the entire fourth quarter because the game is already decided, you know you got cooked.
For fantasy purposes, this is a tale of two cities. The Suns' bench and role players went absolutely off. The Grizzlies? Most of their key guys either didn't play or looked lost out there. Let's break it down.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Booker | 54.0 | 42.9 | 36/2/5 | 25.7/3.9/6.0 | +10.3 |
| Jordan Goodwin | 51.0 | 42.8 | 9/4/8 | 8.7/4.9/2.2 | +0.3 |
| Jalen Green | 38.0 | 34.7 | 21/6/1 | 18.3/3.8/2.9 | +2.7 |
| Oso Ighodaro | 36.0 | 32.0 | 11/5/8 | 6.6/5.0/2.2 | +4.4 |
| Collin Gillespie | 27.0 | 30.0 | 11/5/10 | 13.1/4.1/4.8 | -2.1 |
| DeJon Jarreau | 25.0 | 29.6 | 12/8/4 | 8.4/4.8/3.4 | +3.6 |
| Khaman Maluach | 25.0 | 27.2 | 6/11/0 | 2.8/2.6/0.2 | +3.2 |
| Walter Clayton Jr. | 31.0 | 27.1 | 11/3/7 | 7.4/2.0/3.9 | +3.6 |
| Cam Spencer | 32.0 | 25.1 | 16/3/5 | 11.1/2.6/5.5 | +4.9 |
| Tyler Burton | 27.0 | 24.3 | 17/4/1 | 10.8/4.3/1.1 | +6.2 |
Devin Booker is Still Built Different
Devin Booker dropping 36 points on 16-24 shooting in 25 minutes is basically a "hold my drink" moment. That's not just efficient, that's him saying "I don't even need to play the full game to embarrass y'all." 42.9 Yahoo FP in under 26 minutes. The +10.3 over his season average shows this wasn't just a good night, this was a statement performance.
If you own Booker, you already knew what you had. If someone's trying to trade for him right now citing the blowout minutes as a reason to sell low, laugh at them and decline immediately. This guy is one of the few guys who can go for 36 on pristine efficiency and sit out the fourth quarter. That's a franchise cornerstone.
The Bench Went Off, and Here's Why That Matters
This is where it gets interesting. Jordan Goodwin (42.8 Yahoo FP) posted 9/4/8/5/1. That's 5 steals in 28 minutes. +5.8 assists over his season average. The Grizzlies were that disorganized. Collin Gillespie added 30 Yahoo FP with a 10-assist night, which is +5.2 over his typical look.
But the real revelation is Oso Ighodaro (32 Yahoo FP). This dude had 11/5/8 in 34 minutes with +4.4 on points and +5.8 on assists. That's not a typical center line. He was basically running half the offense because Memphis had no answers.
Here's the thing: when a bench-heavy performance like this happens in a blowout, you gotta ask if it's real or garbage time. In this case, it's garbage time layups and assists that inflated the numbers. Ighodaro might have had a decent game regardless, but some of those 8 assists came when the game was over. Same with Goodwin's steal line. Don't overreact and stash these guys based on one blowout performance.
Grizzlies Bench Tried to Party Without the Stars
On the flip side, the Memphis squad was gutted. Most of their rotation didn't suit up, and the guys who did play couldn't keep up.
DeJon Jarreau led them with 29.6 Yahoo FP off 12/8/4. That's +3.6 on points and +3.2 on boards. He was trying. Tyler Burton had 24.3 Yahoo FP with 17 points and 3 threes in 31 minutes, which is solid considering Memphis was playing pickup game defense. Cam Spencer went 6-9 from the field with 4 threes for 25.1 Yahoo FP. These guys were out there working.
But here's the reality: when your main guys aren't playing, your bench guys are gonna put up decent fantasy stats against a Suns squad that's already won and is checking out mentally. This doesn't translate to every night. Don't rush to add Jarreau or Tyler Burton to your roster thinking this is the new baseline. They were good because Memphis was short-handed.
What You Actually Need to Know
Grayson Allen is trending up in ownership (+0.8%) despite not playing. Ignore this. One healthy game and he's probably back in the rotation at meaningful minutes. Don't get cute trying to trade for him as a breakout candidate.
Santi Aldama is dropping in ownership (-0.3%). He wasn't even active for this game, which means whatever's going on (injury, foul trouble, coaching decision) needs monitoring. If he's healthy next game, he could be a sneaky pickup in deeper leagues. But don't rush right now.
The Suns showed why they're contenders. The Grizzlies showed why they need their full roster healthy. That's it. That's the story.