SAS 118, LAC 99: Fox Wins Duel With Kawhi Leonard
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Jasmine "Jazz" Porter
University Student ยท Oklahoma City Thunder fan
Spurs Stun Clippers 118-99, Fox and Harper Lead Fantasy Takeover
Alright, so the Spurs just walked into LA and absolutely cooked the Clippers last night. This wasn't close. 118-99. The kind of game where you're checking your phone at halftime wondering if the scoreboard broke. For fantasy purposes, this is exactly the type of blowout that creates both opportunity and disaster depending on who you had on your roster.
Let's get into it.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De'Aaron Fox | 51.0 | 45.1 | 22/8/5 | 18.5/3.8/6.2 | +3.5 |
| Kawhi Leonard | 56.0 | 44.7 | 24/6/5 | 28.0/6.3/3.6 | -4.0 |
| Julian Champagnie | 32.0 | 33.6 | 13/8/4 | 11.2/5.8/1.5 | +1.8 |
| Bennedict Mathurin | 31.0 | 32.4 | 18/7/2 | 18.5/5.5/2.2 | -0.5 |
| Dylan Harper | 37.0 | 29.9 | 19/2/5 | 11.7/3.4/3.9 | +7.3 |
| Devin Vassell | 29.0 | 29.0 | 14/10/2 | 14.0/4.0/2.5 | +0.0 |
| Stephon Castle | 28.0 | 27.3 | 20/4/5 | 16.7/5.2/7.2 | +3.3 |
| Darius Garland | 17.0 | 22.9 | 11/2/3 | 18.9/2.3/6.8 | -7.9 |
| Luke Kornet | 25.0 | 22.7 | 8/6/5 | 6.6/6.2/1.8 | +1.4 |
| John Collins | 23.0 | 21.2 | 15/6/0 | 13.6/5.3/1.0 | +1.4 |
De'Aaron Fox Went Absolutely OFF
De'Aaron Fox dropped 45.1 Yahoo FP on you last night. 22 points on 9-13 shooting, 8 boards, 5 dimes. That +3.5 pts over his season average doesn't even tell the whole story because this felt like him hitting another gear when the Clippers couldn't slow him down. He was efficient, he was aggressive, and he basically won the matchup against Darius Garland before halftime.
Here's the thing though, don't get too hyped just because of one game. Fox has been steady all season at 18.5 ppg, but that rebound total tonight was legit. He crashed the glass hard when San Antonio started pulling away. This isn't necessarily repeatable against tougher defenses, but it shows he's capable of filling up the sheet when the game flows his way.
Dylan Harper's Breakout Moment
Dylan Harper went absolutely nuclear in limited minutes. 37 ESPN FP off 19 points on 8-12 shooting with 5 assists in just 25 minutes. That's efficiency you dream about. The dude added 7.3 points over his season average. For context, Harper has been getting spot minutes most of the season, averaging 11.7 ppg, but last night he looked like he deserved more rope.
Now, I'm gonna be careful here because one good game doesn't mean he's suddenly a must-add in your league. But if you're in a deeper format or streaming bench spots, Harper just sent a message. He's got the skills. Whether San Antonio keeps feeding him is the question. Watch his next couple games. If this wasn't a one-off, he could become a real waiver wire gem.
Kawhi Met Expectations, But Clippers Got Exposed
Kawhi Leonard put up 44.7 Yahoo FP with 24 points, 6 boards, 5 assists. Solid line on paper. But here's the issue, he was -4.0 on his season average. When your best player is having an off night and you're down 19 at the end, that's the ballgame right there. The Clippers got dominated, and Kawhi couldn't carry them.
Don't sell Kawhi low just yet. He's still averaging 28 ppg this season and he's not going anywhere. But this game exposed how much the Clippers need secondary scoring. Bennedict Mathurin kept them somewhat close with 32.4 Yahoo FP (18 points), but that wasn't enough firepower.
The Garland Disaster
Darius Garland completely flopped. 11 points on 5-17 shooting, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal in 29 minutes. That's 22.9 Yahoo FP and -7.9 vs his season average. The dude averaged 18.9 ppg and 6.8 apg this season, so this wasn't just a quiet game. This was a straight-up clunker.
The Spurs defense was suffocating, and Garland couldn't find his rhythm. If you have him in your league, this is one game you can probably ignore. But if he's a centerpiece of your build, you need to pay attention to whether this is the start of a trend heading into the playoffs. The next few games matter.
The Spurs' Bench Showed Up
What caught me watching this was how much depth San Antonio got. Stephon Castle, the rookie (2024-25 ROTY), dropped 27.3 Yahoo FP with 20 points and 5 assists. Julian Champagnie had 13 points, 8 boards, and 4 assists for 33.6 Yahoo FP. Luke Kornet was a sneaky contributor with 8 points, 6 boards, and 5 assists.
This is a well-rounded attack. The Spurs aren't just relying on their stars to go off. When a team spreads the scoring around like that in a blowout, it means the foundation is solid. Castle in particular looked composed running the offense. The man averaged 16.7 ppg this season and put up 20 here. That's the kind of consistency you want from your young guys.
Who Should I Add or Drop?
Adds: Harrison Barnes sneaked in with a +0.1% ownership bump to 5.4% after contributing to the W. He's not a target. However, Dylan Harper should be on your radar if he's available. He showed up when it mattered.
Drops: Nothing from this game directly, but Darius Garland is worth monitoring. If he has another bad one, you might look to move him before the deadline depending on your league settings.
The Real Story
The Clippers got punked at home by a Spurs team that shot better, played smarter, and didn't let the game get close. For fantasy, this means the Spurs' role players are going to eat when they play like this. The Clippers need to figure out secondary scoring fast or they're looking at some tough playoff matchups. Kawhi's fine long-term, but Garland and John Collins (21.2 Yahoo FP, +1.4 vs avg) need to find consistency.
Watch your league's waiver wire this week. The Spurs depth just proved it's for real, and that means minutes and scoring opportunities for guys like Harper who are hungry for playing time.