Jarrett Allen was not having a good series against the Toronto Raptors, but he sure made up for it in Game 7 as he powered the Cleveland Cavaliers to the win to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the third straight time.
The Cavaliers fended off the Raptors, 114-102, at Rocket Arena on Sunday, with Allen tallying 22 points, 19 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and three blocks. Before the winner-take-all, he was only averaging 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in the best-of-seven series.
Toronto threatened to pull away in the second quarter after erecting a double-digit lead. Cleveland, however, went on to an 11-2 run to tie the count at halftime, 49-49.
In a report from the Associated Press’ Joe Reedy, Allen revealed that they rallied behind the reminder of Sam Merrill.
“Sam said this whole series, we haven’t closed out the second quarter. We all took that to heart. We all looked at ourselves and decided that now was the time to do it,” said Allen.
“I think the defensive stops, rebounds, and the offense are still shaky in some areas, but I think when we rebound the ball and get stops, that just translates to the offense so much better and transition and open shots for everybody.”
After the break, the Cavaliers took control and created a 19-point lead in the third quarter. Allen was instrumental in the spurt, especially in getting extra possessions.
He finished with 10 offensive rebounds. Toronto only had seven offensive rebounds.
Merrill also stepped up with 13 points, including three three-pointers, three rebounds, and two assists in 23 minutes off the bench. He teamed up with Max Strus, who earned a three-word description from Donovan Mitchell, in leading the second unit.
The fourth-seeded Cavaliers will face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the second round. Game 1 is on Tuesday.