After missing nine games with a right knee injury, Grayson Allen has immediately impacted the Phoenix Suns’ rotation.
Returning on Monday night against the Houston Rockets, Allen played 22 minutes, posting six assists, three rebounds and four steals. But he was held scoreless, going 0-for-6 from the field.
However, the shots fell in the shooting guard’s favor on Wednesday night. Notching 19 points, an assist and a block, he helped the Suns get their third win in the past four games, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 117-98.
“I felt like I made some good decisions in the first game, like passing the ball, but obviously the shooting wasn’t there like it was tonight,” Allen said in a postgame interview on the Suns’ TV postgame show. “So, it felt good to see the first few go in, and get a little bit more aggressive after that.”
Suns’ Grayson Allen Improves Post-Injury Play In Win Over Grizzlies
Allen getting close to full strength
19 points is a near-perfect increase from Allen’s first scoreless stint of the season. In fact, it is his best showing since Nov. 12: a 23-point performance against the Dallas Mavericks.
But Allen’s efficiency was more surprising in his first bench appearance of the season. In 21 minutes, he put up a +10 rating. Specifically, scoring three field goals in third quarter.
“I’ve had some time to catch my breath,” Allen said about his efficient stints on Wednesday night. “That stretch got me. I knew I was coming out soon too, so I was trying to just keep going and improve my conditioning a little bit there in that stretch and run. I haven’t been breathing that heavy in years.”
The Suns’ offense clicks from distance
Allen’s groove started from beyond the arc. He went 5-for-10 on his three-point attempts, thus reaching five made triples for the third time this season.
But Allen was not the only player finding a groove on the court. Overall, the Suns knocked down a season-high 22 triples against the Grizzlies, who were playing without Ja Morant.
“They were giving us a lot of shots,” Dillon Brooks said in a postgame sideline interview with the Suns’ TV broadcast. “They were in the paint, we were making the passes and knocking them down. So, I think we can get more of that.”
A return to Memphis
While Allen was being interviewed postgame, some Suns players were talking close by, grabbing a meal. They were ready to eat some barbecue. Perhaps, for Allen, a callback to his early years in the NBA.
Allen played for the Grizzlies from 2019 to 2021, playing 88 games and starting 38. In the 2020-21 campaign, he averaged double figures for the first time, starting an annual streak that has yet to be broken. Moreover, providing a chance to reminisce ahead of his return, both to Beale Street and the Suns.
“Memphis felt like the first city I got a chance to play and contribute,” Allen said. “The organization gave me a chance on the court. I felt like I had a lot of fans and great fan support. So, I’m extremely appreciative of my time in Memphis, [I] loved my two years here. [But] I’m happy to be in Phoenix now.”
The Last Word On Grayson Allen
With the absence of Jalen Green, who is getting live reps now according to Jordan Ott, Allen has filled the Suns’ starting shooting guard position. Collin Gillespie has done well in Allen’s absence, averaging a career-high 13.8 points per game this season in 36 appearance and 17 starts. Jordan Goodwin has also excelled, scoring 26 points in a surprising win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. But Allen’s presence and passing ability provides an extra layer to a Suns’ team that is succeeding at surprising teams across the Western Conference.
Despite the carousel of injuries, the Suns have done well to showcase various players, with many of them averaging career-high stats. Not only does it give opportunities, but grows support amongst the group. Thus, a mentality that gives the Suns confidence to make noise in the playoff picture.
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