IND 145, CHI 126: IND Pulls Away, Thompson Posts 42.9 Yahoo FP
Hiro Tanaka
Physical Therapy Assistant ยท Los Angeles Lakers fan
Pacers Roll Past Bulls 145-126: Thompson's Breakout Game Changes Everything
Ethan Thompson just announced his presence in the biggest way possible. The Pacers' shooting guard went absolutely off for 42.9 Yahoo FP (53 ESPN), dropping 24 points on 8-15 shooting with 5 threes. This wasn't some random hot night either, he's averaging just 5.8 PPG on the season. That's an 18.2 point explosion over his norm. If you weren't paying attention to Thompson before, you need to be now.
The Pacers' depth was absurd tonight. Pascal Siakam put up 37.3 Yahoo FP with 25/4/5 on elite efficiency (11-16 FG), while Kobe Brown went for 33.6 Yahoo FP with 17/8/6. That's three different guys each hitting 33+ Yahoo FP on the same team. Jalen Slawson added 38.1 Yahoo FP with 8/8/5/3 blocks in 23 minutes, basically doing everything at once. Indiana's bench rotation is legitimately dangerous.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethan Thompson | 53.0 | 42.9 | 24/2/5 | 5.8/1.8/1.5 | +18.2 |
| Matas Buzelis | 40.0 | 38.8 | 17/9/6 | 16.4/5.8/2.1 | +0.6 |
| Jalen Slawson | 42.0 | 38.1 | 8/8/5 | 5.8/4.4/2.8 | +2.2 |
| Pascal Siakam | 46.0 | 37.3 | 25/4/5 | 23.9/6.6/3.8 | +1.1 |
| Kobe Brown | 40.0 | 33.6 | 17/8/6 | 5.4/2.8/1.2 | +11.6 |
| Collin Sexton | 38.0 | 32.6 | 18/3/4 | 15.2/2.0/3.3 | +2.8 |
| Ben Sheppard | 35.0 | 29.9 | 13/2/5 | 7.1/3.0/1.8 | +5.9 |
| Guerschon Yabusele | 26.0 | 27.7 | 20/6/1 | 5.5/3.3/0.9 | +14.5 |
| Kam Jones | 29.0 | 24.7 | 9/1/7 | 4.3/1.4/2.8 | +4.7 |
| Jay Huff | 31.0 | 23.1 | 17/3/3 | 9.4/3.8/1.4 | +7.6 |
Thompson is a Must-Add Right Now
This isn't speculation. Thompson just dropped 24 points on one of the league's best shooting nights. Look at his line, 5 made threes on 8 attempts, 3-4 from the line, basically no turnovers. The shot selection was clean. He played 30 minutes and earned every one of them.
The question is whether this is real or a one-off. Here's what I'm seeing: he was getting minutes. He got 30 tonight, which matters because you can't fake production if you're not on the court. The Pacers trusted him down the stretch. That's not random. His usage has to have jumped significantly, and when volume goes up for a shooter who can actually shoot, good things happen.
Add him in 12-team leagues tonight if he's still sitting there. In deeper formats, he's already gone or about to be. This is the kind of performance that changes a player's role going forward, especially this deep into the season.
The Bulls Got Exposed on Defense
Matas Buzelis did his thing with 38.8 Yahoo FP (17/9/6), hitting all 4 free throws and playing solid on both ends. Collin Sexton went 18/3/4 with 32.6 Yahoo FP, staying consistent. Guerschon Yabusele was an absolute monster off the bench, 27.7 Yahoo FP on 20 points with 6-8 FT shooting. That's a 14.5 point jump over his season average (5.5 PPG). He's a journeyman big who just got paid to be productive, and tonight proved why.
But here's what killed Chicago: they got torched on role players. When Ben Sheppard (29.9 Yahoo FP, 13/2/5) and Jay Huff (23.1 Yahoo FP, 17/3/3 with 5 threes) are both going off, your defense has broken down systematically. These aren't all-star caliber nights, they're supporting cast guys having their best performances. That's a sign the Bulls' perimeter defense got picked apart, and their help side was nonexistent.
The Real Story: Pacers' Depth is Legit
Indiana won this game 145-126 without needing anyone to have an all-time performance. They just had four guys all drop 33+ Yahoo FP. That's a recipe for consistent wins down the stretch. Kam Jones added 24.7 Yahoo FP with 9/1/7, showing real playmaking. Ben Sheppard at 29.9 Yahoo FP. That's not sustainable individually, but collectively it means Indiana can win a lot of different ways.
For fantasy, this matters because Pacers' guys outside of the obvious stars (the ones who didn't play tonight) just got a confidence boost. Role flexibility is valuable. If you're looking to stream or trade for secondary pieces, Indiana's bench just proved they can get it done.
The Waiver Wire Takeaway
Thompson is the only name that makes sense to act on immediately. He's likely getting added league-wide after this. The other Pacers guys (Sheppard, Slawson, Huff) are nice but they're playing behind established rotation guys. Their production tonight doesn't mean automatic increased opportunity down the line.
For the Bulls, Collin Sexton staying around 32+ Yahoo FP consistently is worth noting if he's available, but he was already getting minutes. This game didn't unlock anything new there. Guerschon Yabusele is interesting in deeper formats if he's not owned yet, but again, role players having their best nights doesn't always signal a role change.
The Pacers just told us their offense can be explosive from anywhere on the roster. That's scary for opponents and good news if you own pieces of that bench. But Thompson? That's the only guy who might have genuinely changed his season trajectory tonight.