OKC 128, LAC 110: Holmgren Has Monster Night: 81 ESPN FP
Kwame Asante
Junior Accountant ยท Oklahoma City Thunder fan
Thunder Roll Past Clippers 128-110, Holmgren Goes Absolutely Bonkers
Right, so this one was never really in doubt once Chet Holmgren decided to turn into prime LeBron out there. Thunder up 18 at the end, and honestly, it could've been worse for LA. When your All-NBA reigning MVP (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) only drops 20 points, you're relying on some serious secondary scoring, and the Clippers just couldn't get there.
Let me break down who actually showed up tonight.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chet Holmgren | 81.0 | 70.3 | 30/14/5 | 16.9/8.8/1.6 | +13.1 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 47.0 | 40.7 | 20/1/11 | 31.3/4.3/6.5 | -11.3 |
| Jalen Williams | 40.0 | 37.2 | 18/6/6 | 17.0/4.6/5.5 | +1.0 |
| Kawhi Leonard | 30.0 | 34.1 | 20/8/3 | 28.1/6.3/3.6 | -8.1 |
| John Collins | 31.0 | 33.3 | 12/9/3 | 13.7/5.3/1.0 | -1.7 |
| Kobe Sanders | 36.0 | 28.9 | 17/2/1 | 7.1/2.3/1.6 | +9.9 |
| Jordan Miller | 30.0 | 27.6 | 16/3/6 | 9.7/3.0/2.2 | +6.3 |
| Brook Lopez | 27.0 | 26.7 | 16/6/3 | 8.2/3.5/1.3 | +7.8 |
| Isaiah Joe | 34.0 | 26.4 | 21/2/2 | 10.9/2.6/1.3 | +10.1 |
| Isaiah Hartenstein | 26.0 | 22.9 | 10/7/1 | 9.2/9.5/3.6 | +0.8 |
Chet's Night Was Genuinely Special
Chet Holmgren put up 30/14/5 on 10-13 shooting. That's not just efficient, that's "he's playing a different sport" efficiency. 70.3 Yahoo points. Go look at his season average (16.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG) and do the math yourself. He went nuclear for +13.1 points above his season scoring average. This is an All-Defensive First Team performer (yes, I'm fully biased as a Thunder supporter, but the man earned that) playing at an MVP-caliber level tonight.
The thing is, this isn't unsustainable because of talent, it's just hard to repeat. Holmgren is legit. He's 22, he's got elite length on both ends, and he's shown he can dominate defensively and contribute real scoring. But nights where you shoot 77% from the field and grab 14 boards don't come around every game. If he's sitting on your waiver wire, that's a crime, and if you own him, you're laughing.
Shai Got the Assist Trophy, But Cooked the Scoring
Here's what's wild about the MVP's night: 20 points on 17 shots, but 11 assists. Shai was running the show completely. That's the reigning MVP move, right? Getting teammates involved, trusting the system. Except he was also -11.3 from his season scoring average, which tells you the Clippers defense was specifically on him hard.
11 assists on 6.5 season average is massive. For fantasy purposes, though, when your star is down 11 points from his average, you're banking on that assist boost to carry you. 40.7 Yahoo points is still solid, but it's a reminder that when teams game-plan against you, even MVPs feel it.
The Clippers' Weird Bench Load
Kawhi Leonard had an off night by his standards, 20/8/3 but on 8-18 shooting. Down 8.1 from his average. That's the story right there. When your best guy outside SGA is shooting 44% from the field, you're not beating anybody.
But here's where it gets interesting: Kobe Sanders (+9.9 PPG vs avg, 28.9 Yahoo FP) and Jordan Miller (+6.3 PPG, 27.6 FP) went absolutely off the bench. Sanders was 5-8 from the floor with three triples. Miller with 16 points and 6 assists in 29 minutes. These are role players stepping up, and in a loss, that usually means they got minutes because the starters were getting blown out early.
Brook Lopez also had a night, 16/6/3 on solid efficiency. That's +7.8 from his season average. The Clippers had some guys play well tonight. Just not enough guys, and not at the same time as their stars.
Isaiah Joe's Minute Shift Is Real
Isaiah Joe from Thunder camp put up 21/2/2 on 6-9 shooting with 4 threes in 22 minutes. That's +10.1 PPG above his average and 26.4 Yahoo points. He's getting a legit role in the Thunder rotation, especially when the offense needs quick buckets. If he continues this, he's a league-wide add in deeper formats. Right now he's probably not owned in 10-team leagues, but that could flip quick.
The Bottom Line
This was Thunder cruising, and Holmgren was the story. Shai ran the offense, everyone else contributed, and LA just couldn't keep pace. For fantasy, Holmgren is a hold forever, Shai remains elite even on quieter nights, and keep an eye on Joe and the Thunder's bench depth if you're streaming.
The Clippers underperformed as a unit tonight, but don't overreact on Kawhi. One bad shooting night doesn't change his profile.