NBA Cup Quarterfinal: Suns vs. Thunder
In a heated NBA Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday night, the Phoenix Suns encountered a difficult situation as guard Grayson Allen was ejected for a flagrant foul against Oklahoma City Thunder‘s rising star, Chet Holmgren. The incident occurred during the third quarter at the Paycom Center when Allen, in an attempt to navigate around a screen, forcefully shoved Holmgren, sending him crashing to the floor.
Incident and Reactions
The confrontation sparked a brief on-court altercation that was quickly diffused by officials and team staff. In a moment captured by Amazon Prime Video cameras, a slow-motion replay illustrated Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s astonishment at the development behind the play, adding an unexpected comedic angle to the incident.
Grayson Allen’s Performance
Allen’s night concluded with 10 points and four assists from a shooting line of 3-of-9, but the real story was his ejection, which was a result of the flagrant 2 foul assessment. Known for his past controversies at Duke University where he faced multiple tripping accusations, Allen had managed to keep a relatively low profile regarding such incidents in his professional career until now. Currently, in his third season with the Suns, he boasts a career-high average of 16.9 points and 3.9 assists per game this year.
Game Dynamics
Frustration may have played a role in his actions, as Oklahoma City dominated the matchup, leading by more than 30 points at one stage and cruising towards what would likely be their 16th consecutive victory. As the game progressed, the Thunder increased their halftime lead of 26 points, pushing it to a staggering 38 points by the end of the third quarter. With their remarkable performance so far this season, having won 23 of their first 24 games, the Thunder are on track to challenge the record for the most wins in a single NBA season.
Additional updates on this story will follow shortly.
