UTA 147, MEM 101: UTA Runs Away as Mbeng Posts 75 ESPN FP
Tyler Okonkwo
Student & Retail Associate ยท Houston Rockets fan
Jazz Absolutely Cooked Memphis: A 46-Point Blastoff That Changed Everything
Yo, this game was not a game. This was a mercy killing. The Jazz just dropped 147 on the Grizzlies and it felt like watching a dunk contest where only one team showed up. 101-147 final. That's a 46-point gap. That's the kind of score you see in 2K when you're playing on rookie difficulty with sliders cranked.
And here's the thing, for fantasy purposes, this matters because when teams go absolutely nuclear like this, the usage patterns get weird, the bench gets run, and guys you've never heard of suddenly hit your lineup like they're lottery picks. Let's talk about who cashed and what it means.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bez Mbeng | 75.0 | 64.7 | 27/11/11 | 7.7/3.8/3.8 | +19.3 |
| John Konchar | 67.0 | 57.2 | 11/11/10 | 4.4/4.2/2.1 | +6.6 |
| Oscar Tshiebwe | 51.0 | 51.9 | 16/22/3 | 7.0/6.2/1.1 | +9.0 |
| Kennedy Chandler | 53.0 | 49.0 | 26/5/10 | 15.0/3.4/6.7 | +11.0 |
| Ace Bailey | 51.0 | 47.0 | 23/10/2 | 13.8/4.2/1.8 | +9.2 |
| Jahmai Mashack | 40.0 | 46.5 | 13/15/13 | 6.0/2.7/1.9 | +7.0 |
| Rayan Rupert | 36.0 | 45.4 | 16/12/4 | 4.9/2.8/1.0 | +11.1 |
| Lucas Williamson | 39.0 | 44.1 | 13/13/3 | 9.7/5.3/2.5 | +3.3 |
| Blake Hinson | 49.0 | 39.4 | 30/2/2 | 12.1/2.1/1.1 | +17.9 |
| Adama Bal | 37.0 | 31.4 | 18/2/4 | 10.4/3.1/2.4 | +7.6 |
Bez Mbeng Just Became a Guy (27/11/11, 64.7 Yahoo FP)
Look, I gotta be honest. I had no idea Bez Mbeng was about to cook like this. 27 points, 11 assists, 11 rebounds in 38 minutes. That's a near triple-double with scoring punch. This is +19.3 points versus his season average of 7.7. We're not talking about variance here. We're talking about a different player showing up.
The thing that gets me is the efficiency too. 12-19 from the field (63%), so he wasn't just jacking. He was getting good looks in a game where the Jazz were rolling and had numbers advantage all night. The question is whether this is a ceiling game or a new floor.
My take? This was a blowout performance. When teams are up 30 in the second half, the ball moves different. Spacing opens up. Guys get rhythm looks they don't normally get. Mbeng's probably going to be somewhere between tonight's 27 and his season average moving forward, but this game proved he's got more in the tank than 7.7 PPG suggests.
Blake Hinson Went Nuclear (30 points, 39.4 Yahoo FP)
Blake Hinson with 30 points on 12-19 shooting, four threes made. This is the blowout role player breakout. When your team is up huge, you get to hunt shots and get out in transition. Hinson went 2-2 from free throw line too, so he wasn't even forced to shoot.
Here's the reality check though: Hinson is averaging 12.1 PPG on the season. He's a role player who got fed in garbage time when the game was already decided. I wouldn't go add him thinking he's suddenly a league-winner. This is what happens when you play 34 minutes in a 46-point win. His usage was probably sky-high because the Jazz could afford to let him hunt.
The Memphis Problem (And It's Bigger Than Just Stats)
Here's what's wild about the Grizzlies side: Jahmai Mashack (13/15/13, 46.5 Yahoo FP) was actually decent. That's a solid line with good rebounding. Rayan Rupert (16/12/4, 45.4 FP) and Lucas Williamson (13/13/3, 44.1 FP) both put up points and boards.
But they were on a team that got absolutely destroyed. When you're down 30, you're playing team basketball just to keep it respectable. The other thing is, most of these guys' "elevated" performances came against a team that wasn't even trying on defense in the fourth quarter. That context matters for next game projections.
Ace Bailey Getting Owned on the Waiver Wire (23/10/2, 47 Yahoo FP)
Ace Bailey finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds off the bench in 28 minutes. He went 10-19 from the field. And check this out, he's now up to 51.4% ownership after this game (+0.8% added). The league is waking up to him.
Look, the kid's good. He's clearly got role potential and games like this prove he can put up stats. But some of this is the same blowout effect. When your team is rolling, bench players get run and rhythm. That said, 9.2 points above his season average is still meaningful. I'm watching him closer next week.
What Actually Happened Here
The Jazz were just better from every angle. The Grizzlies came out flat. By halftime, this game was over. Memphis got no production from their depth, and Utah's role players capitalized on easy opportunities. This is the kind of 46-point swing you see maybe 5 times a season in the NBA.
The Move
Don't overreact to this. Blowouts are fantasy traps. Guys put up numbers that disappear next week. If Bez Mbeng drops to 14 points in a close game next time, you'll be mad you picked him based on tonight. Same with Blake Hinson.
What you should actually do: Watch the Jazz next game. If Mbeng and Konchar keep getting run in a normal game, THEN you add. If Hinson goes back to 8 points in 18 minutes, you know this was exactly what it looked like.
The Grizzlies players? They're all still worthy of roster spots if you had them. One blowout loss doesn't change their season trajectory. This was just a bad night in a bad matchup.