Suns' Grayson Allen injury silver lining after ugly Game 2 loss to Timberwolves

24/04/2024 05:47

Grayson Allen has been the x-factor for the Phoenix Suns throughout the regular season. If Frank Vogel doesn’t see much offensive momentum between Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker, he would likely be the guy to step up. The former Duke star has not gotten many opportunities to shine because of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ suffocating defense. His chances may have also just gotten slimmer after their second clash in the NBA Playoffs first round.

How’s Allen doing?

The Suns are now down two to nothing in their series against the Timberwolves. To add more concern to the minds of their fans, Grayson Allen went down again in the second game of their NBA Playoffs matchup. He was immediately taken to the locker room for evaluation and treatment. Thankfully, his X-ray results came in negative. Coach Frank Vogel and the rest of the Suns staff will now treat his status as day-to-day, per Duane Rankin of AZ Central.

Before going down, Grayson Allen still played 17 minutes. He went one for two in his field goal attempts from way out to score three points. The Suns guard also showcased how good he was at crashing the boards. He finished the night with three rebounds.

Allen still has a lot to give in this matchup for the Suns to stay afloat. For the season, he is averaging 13.5 points alongside 3.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists. This guard has not come close to that level of production since the NBA Playoffs started.  In the past two games, Allen only totaled seven points, eight rebounds, and two assists. He still has a lot left in the tank and can bounce back against the Timberwolves if deemed healthy.

After the horrendous performances by the Suns’ big three, they will surely need him to get back on the court and return to his former self.

Suns get smacked in their faces by the Timberwolves

There’s no easy way to put it but the Suns are getting dominated. They could not control the pace and tempo of the game. Some shots looked forced while other offensive sequences were just poorly executed. This was a direct contrast to how great the Timberwolves played in Game 2. Everyone looked calm and composed on offense which led to quality baskets. On defense, they were just breaking everyone’s rhythm.

Only Devin Booker managed to score 20 points for the Suns. Even then, going six for 13 on his field goal attempts was more detrimental than it was good. Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal then combined for 32 points which was not much of an offensive boost.

The Suns also could not capitalize on a terrible three-point shooting night from their opponents. Anthony Edwards and the rest of his squad put up a terrible 28.1% three-point shooting percentage. Jusuf Nurkic also controlled the glass fairly well by grabbing 14 out of the Suns’ 41 total rebounds. Despite this advantage on the boards, the Suns just could not find ways to score.

There were plenty of opportunities for them to make a run. But, only scoring 42 points while being punched with 55 points in the last half of the game will never help their case.

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