Tuesday night’s game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers really felt like a playoff game.
The energy was high, the performances were strong, and there was a lot of attention on LeBron James‘ latest return to The Land.
But he wasn’t facing a Cavaliers team like years past – these guys are formidable, powerful, and ready to play.
Jarrett Allen in the first quarter:
14 PTS
7-7 FGMore points than AD, LeBron and Russ combined. pic.twitter.com/Pz1qMKdFLU
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 7, 2022
Jarrett Allen was definitely ready to go.
Returning after an absence, Allen was incredible right out of the gate: he scored 14 points and went 7-of-7 from the field in the first quarter alone.
As StatMuse points out, that was more than both James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook combined.
Allen has become a vital part of this team and is now considered one of the best frontcourt players in the league.
He was showing that on Tuesday night.
Allen Aiding
When the final buzzer sounded, Allen was good for 24 points and 11 rebounds.
He was a dominant figure that had a hand in slowing down the Lakers, who were without Davis for almost the entirety of the game.
An NBA team can be successful but it can’t really thrive and make it far in the playoffs without a reliable and dominant power forward or center.
That is what Allen is.
Since coming to the Cavaliers from the Brooklyn Nets, Allen has really evolved as a player and has perfected his game.
It’s wild what happens when a player actually feels valuable and wanted by a team.
Allen has had a few absences so far this year and he missed a lot of last season too, so fans are hopeful that he is able to stay this great and this reliable for the rest of the season.
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