Grayson Allen Sends Message to Suns Fans Who Boo
PHOENIX -- It was certainly the end result everybody at Footprint Center wanted, though the Phoenix Suns undoubtedly took the long way in their eventual 119-117 win over the Sacramento Kings.
The Suns found themselves down by 20 at multiple points in the second half, and the boo birds were heard multiple times throughout the night.
Yet as the team found their footing and continued to dig at their deficit, the home crowd rallied behind their guys and ultimately helped propel the Suns to what's now a three-game winning streak.
Following the game, Grayson Allen spoke at length on the home crowd, the energy in the building, and how the team/fans need to work together:
"A lot of it was us bringing some energy on the bench, still talking through the game, talking through it defensively. Offensively we went through some lolls, but we knew that we were kind of figuring out where we could attack them. It was a lot about energy," said Allen.
"The energy in the building was bad at points tonight - like the crowd was booing. I wish we would work together with the crowd. I understand we weren't playing well, they paid for their tickets so they can come out and cheer however they want to. But man when we're down, we want to be a great home court team and we have such a great crowd, it was so loud tonight.
"I wish they would cheer us on and help give us some energy in those times too. But in the fourth quarter and when we went on that run, the crowd was incredible - it was the loudest I heard it all season. That kind of energy - when you have that kind of energy from the crowd and you're getting stops, you're running up and down the court hitting three's, it's just flowing. You have so much momentum. Everything is clicking. It's a great spot to be in as a team.
"Part of that momentum, that feeling from the crowd, that feeling of being on that run, is why we made all those shots. We were getting good looks, we made all of them because of the energy in the building and the energy of the game. One of the things I just wish is us and the crowd would work together a little bit more."
There's been some comments made within the Suns' community of crowd energy levels and the lack of enthusiasm once spotted during the 2021 NBA Finals run. Some believe heading to a Suns game is more in the realm of social status rather than fandom, and increased ticket prices certainly don't help that narrative.
However, it's clear that when Phoenix puts a winning product on the court, the fans will follow. That was made evident last night in what was surely the loudest crowd of the season.
The Suns are back at home on Sunday when they host the Indiana Pacers.
