On Thursday, the NBA All-Star reserve selections were announced, and one of the biggest snubs was certainly Cleveland Cavaliers (Cavs) center, Jarrett Allen. On Friday, Allen took out any frustrations he might have had during the Cavs big 102-101 road victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Despite a big rally from the Hornets in the fourth quarter, the Cavs were able to hold them off due in large part to the 29 points and 22 rebounds that Allen brought in while shooting 12-20 from the field. In doing so, he became the first Cavs player with a 25-point, 20-rebound game on 60% shooting since Cliff Robinson did so way back in 1984.
This is Allen’s first full season with the Cavs after coming over in a mid-season trade from the Brooklyn Nets at last year’s trade deadline. In the trade, Allen was traded from one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams to one of the worst. Although it was a tough ending to the season for Allen, especially seeing how far Brooklyn went in the 2021 playoffs without him, it all worked out for him in the end.
Last offseason, Allen was rewarded with a shiny new, $100 million contract extension and now his Cavs team is playing some of the best basketball that the franchise has ever played without LeBron James. On the year, Cleveland is sitting in the fourth playoff spot in the East. After winning just 22 games in the 2020-21, shortened, 72-game season, their 37-21 record this year is just one game back of the Chicago Bulls for first place in the entire Eastern Conference.