Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Duke Basketball Alum Grayson Allen Carries Suns 'Big Three' to Victory
On Tuesday night, Grayson Allen had a team-high 29 points and nine threes (tying a franchise record he matched earlier this month) in the Phoenix Suns' 119-117 home win over the Sacramento Kings. Even so, ESPN's recap doesn't mention the 2015 Duke basketball champ in the first paragraph, nor does the story include any of his quotes.
No, ESPN reserved the first paragraph and first quote for Kevin Durant. The superstar finished with 27 points and capped off the Suns' 22-point fourth-quarter comeback at the foul line, but he explained to the media afterward that he has "no clue" how Phoenix managed to prevail.
Well, the overriding answer should be Grayson Allen.
If not for the full-time starter's sizzling performance early — late in the second quarter, his 20 points on the night marked more than the combined total of Phoenix's "Big Three" in Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal — the otherwise-frigid Suns surely would have faced a significantly bigger disaster than their 68-51 halftime deficit.
And that's not to mention the fact that the 28-year-old Allen, in his first season with the Suns and enjoying a career-best pro campaign, helped power the remarkable momentum swing across the final eight minutes of the game.
His eighth three, a 26-foot statement, came at the 7:12 mark, keeping the score within reach at 109-94. Two minutes later, he sparked Phoenix's ultimate climb back from 17 down via his ninth splash from downtown, this time from 29 feet out.
Allen, the No. 21 overall draft pick in 2018 following his prolific four-year Duke basketball career, didn't disappear after that. Rather, in the final three minutes and change, he recorded two rebounds, two assists, and one block.
In other words, he was the squad's primary anchor from start to finish, as he added five boards, six dimes, two steals, and two blocks to his impressive stat line. He shot 10-for-17 overall, including his 9-for-14 clip from deep.
On that note, one could argue Allen has been among the Suns' three or four most reliable weapons all season. There's no doubt he's been the most efficient scorer.
The underrated NBA Blue Devil is now averaging 13.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists across his 33.4 minutes per outing for the Suns (22-18). He's played 35 contests, shooting 50.3 percent from the field, 48.0 percent beyond the arc (No. 2 among all NBA players), and 91.2 percent at the charity stripe (No. 3 in the league).
As Basketball Reference pointed out, only one NBA player has multiple games with nine or more makes from deep this season. His name is Grayson Allen.
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