Suns' Grayson Allen details heroic 3-pointer in win vs Jazz
Yesterday at 06:17 PM
With 0.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter, fans exited the arena, but it was more than enough time for Grayson Allen to hit a 3-pointer that sent the Phoenix Suns to overtime. After the Utah Jazz went on a 22-5 in the final quarter, Allen’s heroics injected a jolt of life into the team and the fanbase.
Although some were uncertain if the shot would fall, Allen knew it before anyone else.
“It felt good right when I shot it, and it was online too, so I knew it had a chance as soon as it left my hands,” Allen said postgame to reporters. He also added what Royce O’Neale told him before inbounding the ball to him.
“Just run to this spot, I'm gonna throw it right there, and knock it down.”
For Allen, he posted 21 points and seven connections from 3-point range. In his first start this season, Allen impressed Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer with his performance. With Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal both out, it was more of the same. The 21 points were the second-highest on the team, only behind Devin Booker’s 47-point outburst.
Still, Allen’s designed play was ran once in training camp. Regardless, he made the shot anyway. In addition to the shot feeling good, Allen detailed step-by-step the process of how the play was designed.
“In that situation, since it’s a skip pass, it feels like there’s a lot of time of the ball in the air before you could see your hands,” Allen said. “I’m covering so much ground across the 3-point line. First off, you’re trying to check his feet behind the line. Once you catch it, for a righty going to the right, you kind of feel a little freer that the guy’s not to block it.
“Just get the shot off and trust it, but going that way, I just say make sure you’re behind the line and get that right shoulder.”
Grayson Allen’s 3-pointer was the Suns’ X-factor
That shot was the momentum boost that the team needed. Heading into overtime, they were dominated 60-30 by the Jazz for points in the paint. Even with the horrendous metric, a win is a win. However, this is his first major time in the bright lights since joining the NBA. Although Allen was the Suns’ X-factor in a win against the Washington Wizards, this time, it’s more impactful.
In his second season with the Suns, he’s made history. He has the most games in franchise history with 7+ made 3-pointers, passing Raja Bell, who had 8. When asked about that metric, he decided to spread the love to Phoenix’s Big 3.
“I do think that playing with Brad, Kevin, and Devin has brought out the best in me as a basketball player,” Allen said. “I think someone said that they don’t do that to their teammates, but I think I’m a very clear example that they do.”
Grayson Allen should relish in the moment
Allen is a selfless player, and one who players want to play with, but don’t like to play against. As a result, it’s made him a fan-favorite in The Valley. The microwave scorer can get hot very quickly, as evidenced by Friday’s win. Up until that game, he never had an NBA buzzer-beater.
After only posting one fourth-quarter buzzer beater in college, he’s now matched the number. When the lights are brightest, it’s when Allen relishes in the moment.
“For sure,” Allen said. “I don’t know if I have an NBA fourth-quarter buzzer-beater yet. That might be my first. But yeah, I mean, everyone loves to be in that moment. You get the final shot of the game, and the chance to, in this case, put in overtime, sometimes win the game.
“That's one of those things that I’ve done a thousand times in the driveway counting down in my head when I was a kid. So, it’s awesome to be able to do it.”
The Suns will likely need more of Allen’s heroics, as they play the Denver Nuggets on a back-to-back set. If Durant and Beal are still out, he’ll have another chance to show his 3-point accuracy.
The post Suns’ Grayson Allen details heroic 3-pointer in win vs Jazz appeared first on ClutchPoints.
