HOU 117, GSW 116: Durant, Sengun Both Feast for HOU
Tyler Okonkwo
Student & Retail Associate · Houston Rockets fan
Rockets Steal One in the Bay: Durant Goes Nuclear, Sengun Steady, and Why You're Trading for Jabari
One point. That's all the Rockets needed to beat the Warriors on the road, and let me tell you, my group chat is still going absolutely feral right now. This is the kind of game that wins championships in fantasy, not because of some perfect storm of performances, but because your studs showed up when it mattered most.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Durant | 66.0 | 58.6 | 31/8/8 | 25.8/5.4/4.7 | +5.2 |
| Alperen Sengun | 50.0 | 45.7 | 24/6/7 | 20.6/8.9/6.2 | +3.4 |
| Stephen Curry | 46.0 | 39.4 | 29/2/4 | 27.2/3.5/4.8 | +1.8 |
| Draymond Green | 42.0 | 34.2 | 7/6/12 | 8.6/5.5/5.4 | -1.6 |
| Jabari Smith Jr. | 41.0 | 33.3 | 23/9/1 | 15.6/6.9/1.9 | +7.4 |
| Amen Thompson | 38.0 | 33.1 | 18/3/7 | 17.9/7.8/5.3 | +0.1 |
| Brandin Podziemski | 31.0 | 25.9 | 18/2/3 | 13.5/5.3/3.8 | +4.5 |
| Gui Santos | 19.0 | 24.3 | 15/4/1 | 9.2/3.9/2.3 | +5.8 |
| Kristaps Porziņģis | 20.0 | 23.1 | 9/8/3 | 17.3/5.0/2.6 | -8.3 |
| Reed Sheppard | 27.0 | 22.0 | 11/0/2 | 13.6/2.9/3.5 | -2.6 |
KD Said "Not Today"
Look, Kevin Durant doesn't put up 58.6 Yahoo points and 66 ESPN points every night, but when he does? Your team wins games. 31 points on 10-17 shooting, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds is literally what you drafted him for in the third round. He was +5.2 on scoring alone, and the efficiency was crispy. 8 of 9 from the free throw line too, which matters more than people think in fantasy scoring.
Here's what got me hyped though, my dad was texting me during the game about Durant's footwork on his mid-range shots, and I'm sitting there checking the fantasy app like "yeah dad, he's also giving me assists." That's the beauty of having real scorers on your roster. They can carry you in tight games like this.
Sengun Keeps It Professional
Alperen Sengun didn't need to go absolutely nuclear to contribute 45.7 Yahoo points. 24 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds on 10-19 shooting tells you everything about consistency. Yeah, he was only +0.8 on rebounds and his scoring dip slightly, but he was efficient enough to get there anyway. The assists are the key stat here, honestly. Seven dimes from your center means he's running the offense and creating for others. That's All-NBA level stuff, and it's what separates him from typical big men who just catch lobs and rebound.
The Rockets won this game because their two best players showed out. You can't ask for much more than that.
Jabari's Wake-Up Call
This is the storyline nobody's talking about enough. Jabari Smith Jr. went 9-12 from the field with 5 threes, 23 points, 9 rebounds. That's +7.4 on scoring. The dude has been averaging 15.6 PPG and 6.9 RPG on the season, which is solid, but not "must-have" territory. Tonight he reminded everyone why he was drafted as a top-20 guy.
If you're holding Jabari in a 12-team league, don't panic sell. If you're in a deeper league and he's still available, absolutely add him. The talent is there, the minutes are there (31 tonight), and games like this show the ceiling is way higher than his season average suggests. He's been underperforming his draft position slightly all year, but one aggressive game doesn't flip the script. Still, keep him on your radar.
Curry Does Curry Things, But That's It
Stephen Curry put up 29 points on 11-21 shooting with 5 threes. That's your 39.4 Yahoo points. Problem? He only played 26 minutes and grabbed 2 rebounds. For a guy averaging 27.2 PPG, he was basically right on schedule. Not a sell-high moment, not a buy-low moment. Just Steph being Steph in a game his team lost by one.
The concerning part for Warriors fantasy owners is the rest of the roster had to carry way too much of the load to stay close.
Draymond's Playmaking Showed Up (Everything Else, Not So Much)
Draymond Green with 12 assists on 34 minutes is exactly what you want from a glue guy. 34.2 Yahoo points, 42 ESPN points. The problem? 7 points and 6 rebounds on 3-4 shooting. He's at -1.6 on scoring, which is fine, but he's also not getting you blocks or steals consistently. In a Warriors loss, even his elite playmaking couldn't carry the load.
This is a hold-and-see situation. Don't trade Draymond for pennies, but also don't expect 12 assists every night. He had a perfect floor game tonight, but the Warriors still lost.
The Warriors Role Players Couldn't Enough
Brandin Podziemski with 25.9 Yahoo points (+4.5 on scoring) kept things respectable off the bench. Gui Santos overperformed his average and hit some timely looks (24.3 Yahoo FP, +5.8 on scoring). Even Gary Payton II went for 20.6 points in limited action.
But here's the thing, my guys, this is still a Warriors team that can't beat the Rockets without near-perfect efficiency from role players. That's not sustainable. If you're holding Warriors players below Curry and Draymond, you're basically playing lottery tickets at this point.
The Bottom Line
Rockets owners, keep your studs. Enjoy the win and the fantasy points. Warriors owners, don't panic yet, but understand that close losses to Houston mean adjustments are coming. This game showed that when the Rockets' best players execute, they can win anywhere, and when the Warriors need everybody, they're close but not quite there.
Add Jabari Smith Jr. if available in deeper leagues. Drop anybody not in the top two Warriors players if you need roster flexibility. And if you're thinking about trading Sengun or Durant, call the whole thing off right now. They just proved why they were drafted where they were.