Grayson Allen catches fire for only unbeaten NBA team

The Duke basketball alum heated up on his way to a season-high point total.

For the first time this season, former Duke basketball shooting guard Grayson Allen was not in the starting lineup for the red-hot Milwaukee Bucks.

No worries. Allen responded brilliantly in his new, yet perhaps temporary, role off the bench by helping the Bucks (9-0) remain the NBA's only undefeated squad with their 108-94 home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder (4-5) on Saturday night.

Milwaukee's victory came without its star, Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee), on the floor.

In his 21 minutes of action against the Thunder, Grayson Allen scored a season-high 19 points while shooting a blistering 6-for-8 from the field, 5-for-6 from downtown, and 2-for-2 from the foul line.

Midway through the first quarter, the 27-year-old checked in for the man who started in his place, MarJon Beauchamp. Three minutes later, with Milwaukee down by eight, Allen was responsible for eight straight points in the game, and the Bucks entered the second quarter in a 34-34 tie.

Then with four minutes to play before the break, Allen's five points in 20 seconds sparked a 17-6 run to send the team into the locker room with a commanding 67-53 lead. And a signature Grayson Allen splash from 28 feet late in the third quarter aided in padding Milwaukee's healthy advantage entering the fourth.

Allen, a fifth-year pro who went No. 21 overall at the 2018 NBA Draft after his high-profile four-year Duke basketball campaign, is now averaging 10.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game for the season.

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The Milwaukee Bucks' next outing is on the road against the Atlanta Hawks (6-3) at 8:15 p.m. ET Monday.

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