PHX 111, GSW 96: Green Dominates With 62.2 Yahoo FP
Maya Chen
UX Designer ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Jalen Green Just Broke the Suns, and the Warriors Are Paying for It
The Phoenix Suns beat Golden State 111-96 last night, and if you only looked at the final score, you'd think it was a blowout. You'd be right. But here's what actually happened: Jalen Green went absolutely nuclear, the Warriors' best players all underperformed, and there's a waiver wire name you need to know about immediately.
Let me break down who matters for your team.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Green | 82.0 | 62.2 | 36/6/4 | 17.8/3.6/2.8 | +18.2 |
| Jordan Goodwin | 61.0 | 49.8 | 19/9/2 | 8.7/4.9/2.2 | +10.3 |
| Devin Booker | 42.0 | 41.2 | 20/6/8 | 26.1/3.9/6.0 | -6.1 |
| Brandin Podziemski | 32.0 | 34.0 | 23/10/0 | 13.8/5.1/3.7 | +9.2 |
| Stephen Curry | 24.0 | 29.8 | 17/4/4 | 26.6/3.6/4.7 | -9.6 |
| De'Anthony Melton | 30.0 | 29.1 | 16/8/3 | 12.3/3.2/2.6 | +3.7 |
| Oso Ighodaro | 26.0 | 23.7 | 10/6/1 | 6.5/5.1/2.3 | +3.5 |
| Gui Santos | 22.0 | 23.2 | 9/6/4 | 9.2/3.9/2.3 | -0.2 |
| Al Horford | 15.0 | 17.0 | 9/5/2 | 8.3/4.9/2.6 | +0.7 |
| Dillon Brooks | 9.0 | 15.2 | 13/1/4 | 20.2/3.6/1.8 | -7.2 |
The Moment That Mattered
Jalen Green dropped 36 points on 14-20 shooting and hit 8 threes. That's 62.2 Yahoo fantasy points. That's +18.2 above his season average. That's not a hot night, that's a takeover performance. Green was 7-8 from three at one point. The Warriors had no answer for him defensively, and frankly, the Suns just rode him all the way home.
Here's the thing though, and I need to be real with you: this isn't sustainable. Green averages 17.8 points per game on the season. Last night was an outlier night where everything fell. The shot selection was elite, the efficiency was elite, and the Warriors just didn't have the personnel to make him work for it. If you own Green, great night. If you're thinking about buying him off this performance, pump the brakes. This was lightning in a bottle.
Jordan Goodwin was the other Suns surprise, going 19/9/2 with 4 threes off the bench in 34 minutes. That's 49.8 Yahoo FP, and +10.3 above his season average of 8.7 PPG. He's a deep bench guy who got run because the Suns were crushing the Warriors and the game got out of hand early. Not a waiver priority.
The Warriors Disaster
Let me be straight, as a Warriors fan this one hurt. But I'm calling it like it was: this team got outplayed, and the two guys who usually carry them both had rough nights.
Stephen Curry shot 4-16 from the field and finished with only 17 points and 4 assists in 36 minutes. That's 29.8 Yahoo FP, which sounds decent until you remember he averages 26.6 PPG and 4.7 APG. He was -9.6 from his season average. Four for sixteen is not acceptable basketball. The Suns' defense focused on him early and often, and Steph just couldn't get clean looks. Some nights that happens, but when your lead dog goes cold and you're on the road, you're cooked.
Brandin Podziemski was legitimately the Warriors' best player last night, dropping 23/10/0 with 3 threes for 34 Yahoo FP (+9.2 vs avg). But even Podzz going off wasn't enough. He played 38 minutes and carried what he could, but it wasn't sustainable against the firepower the Suns had.
Devin Booker, even though he underperformed his season average (20/6/8, -6.1 PPG), still got 41.2 Yahoo FP. He didn't need to go off when Green was that good. The Suns' game plan worked perfectly: let Green hunt, let Booker facilitate, and let the Warriors dig themselves into a hole.
The Depth Play Worth Watching
De'Anthony Melton put up 16/8/3 in 27 minutes for 29.1 Yahoo FP, which was right around his season average. Nothing special here, but he's in a real role for the Warriors and should be owned in 10+ team leagues if he isn't already.
Gui Santos came through with 9/6/4 in 30 minutes. He's filling a hole in the Warriors' rotation and staying active with decent per-minute production. Not a league winner, but he's living on waivers in most places and showing enough minutes to speculate on if you need depth.
The Real Takeaway
Phoenix is just better right now. Green proved he can cook, Booker showed he doesn't need to be the lead man every night, and the Suns' depth (Goodwin, Oso Ighodaro with his quiet 10/6/1 line) is legit. Golden State got outmatched on the perimeter and couldn't generate enough stops late. This wasn't a fluke loss, and if I'm a Warriors owner, I'm getting nervous about playoff seeding implications.
For fantasy purposes: Jalen Green is a streaming asset with upside on high-volume nights, but his baseline is lower. Keep Curry, he'll bounce back. Don't overreact to one bad shooting night from the reigning All-NBA second-team guy. And if Podziemski is somehow available in your league, add him now. He's been consistently productive and last night proved he can carry a load when needed.