NYK 130, MEM 119: Anunoby Absolutely Cooks for 56 ESPN FP
Maya Chen
UX Designer ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Knicks Edge Grizzlies in Memphis Despite Missing Stars
Final: 130-119
This one had all the fingerprints of a game where bench depth matters more than usual. The Knicks walked out of Memphis with the win, but the real fantasy story here is about role players stepping up and established guys proving they're still reliable when called upon.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OG Anunoby | 56.0 | 53.1 | 25/13/3 | 16.5/5.1/2.2 | +8.5 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 46.0 | 45.7 | 20/11/11 | 20.1/11.9/2.8 | -0.1 |
| GG Jackson | 41.0 | 32.6 | 20/3/4 | 12.0/4.3/1.4 | +8.0 |
| Olivier-Maxence Prosper | 36.0 | 32.3 | 17/4/1 | 9.5/3.5/1.0 | +7.5 |
| Jose Alvarado | 34.0 | 31.8 | 15/4/4 | 7.2/2.4/3.3 | +7.8 |
| Mikal Bridges | 32.0 | 27.9 | 24/2/1 | 14.6/3.9/3.8 | +9.4 |
| Cam Spencer | 28.0 | 24.2 | 10/1/8 | 11.1/2.6/5.5 | -1.1 |
| Tyler Kolek | 27.0 | 23.1 | 9/3/7 | 4.3/1.6/2.7 | +4.7 |
| Landry Shamet | 27.0 | 23.1 | 13/3/1 | 9.6/1.8/1.5 | +3.4 |
| Javon Small | 29.0 | 22.0 | 13/0/4 | 9.2/3.1/3.7 | +3.8 |
The OG Show, For Real This Time
OG Anunoby dropped 53.1 Yahoo fantasy points and basically carried New York in a game where key pieces were out. 25 points on 47% shooting, 13 rebounds, and 5 free throws made. That's not a fluke line, that's All-NBA Second Team energy showing up when it matters.
What stood out to me: he was out there for 39 minutes and didn't wear down. His rebounding jumped +7.9 versus his season average, which means the Knicks were hunting him on glass. More importantly, his offensive aggression was real. When you're shooting 8-17 and getting to the line five times, that's a guy who owns the offense, not someone just benefiting from extra looks.
This is the version of OG you drafted him to be. At 16.5 points per season average, he's been fine, but tonight he showed he can go nuclear in the playoffs. Hold him tight. Don't even think about trading him.
KAT Did KAT Things
Karl-Anthony Towns with 20/11/11 for 45.7 Yahoo points is basically his floor when he plays well, which means it's not exciting but it's reliable. The wild part? 11 assists. That's nearly four above his season average of 2.8. He ran the Knicks offense at times and it worked.
Here's the thing about KAT though: his rebounding was actually down (11 boards, season avg 11.9), and he took no threes (0-for-0). That's not his normal profile. In a vacuum, 45.7 Yahoo points looks great. In context, this feels like a specific game where Memphis' interior presence forced the Knicks to play through KAT differently. Don't expect the 11 assist line to repeat.
Still a solid night, still a starter you keep playing. Just don't think this is the new normal for him.
The Bench Guys Who Mattered
Jose Alvarado going 31.8 Yahoo points is the kind of waiver add story that makes April fun. 15 points, 4 assists, 2 steals in 31 minutes, and he hit from three. He's at 2.5% ownership league-wide, which is wild. If the Knicks are missing rotation guys and he keeps getting 25+ minutes, he's legit. His +7.8 on points versus his season average shows he's not just filling a bucket, he's actually playing meaningful minutes.
Mikal Bridges was the most efficient Knick on the floor. 24 points on 9-15 shooting, including 3 threes. 35 minutes. This is who he was supposed to be when New York got him. +9.4 on scoring versus season average means tonight wasn't a carry job, it was just him being himself in a game where he got opportunities. Keep playing him.
Memphis' Scoring Depth Won't Save Them
The Grizzlies got contributions across the board, which is great for a loss. GG Jackson (32.6 Yahoo FP) with 20 points on 8-12 shooting shows he's got some actual run potential in this series. Olivier-Maxence Prosper with 32.3 Yahoo points and 17/4/1 is a deep bench guy who stepped up, same story with Cam Spencer (24.2 Yahoo FP) and Javon Small (22 Yahoo FP).
But here's the fantasy reality: that's too many different names. When you win a playoff game, you need your stars carrying weight, not your 10th and 11th men going off. GG Jackson exceeded expectations by 8 points, which is nice, but he's averaging 12 per season. Don't bank on him as a consistent piece. Same with Prosper, Spencer, and Small. They all exceeded their season averages, which means they played above their actual level.
The Drops Tell the Real Story
Santi Aldama is down 0.1% ownership and didn't play. People are getting out. If he's not getting run, he's not fantasy relevant, period. Grayson Allen is getting hammered league-wide (down 2.1%), which makes sense for a guy on a non-playoff team. Not our problem.
What Happens Next
The Knicks showed they can win without certain pieces if role players step up. That's encouraging for them, decent for fantasy purposes. OG and Mikal are locked-in performers. KAT is a rock. Jose Alvarado is only worth grabbing if injuries persist.
Memphis needs their actual stars to show up or this gets ugly fast. Depth scoring in a loss is nice trivia, not a playoff plan.