In an impressive showcase during Tuesday’s NBA action, Grayson Allen scored a whopping 32 points and tied his career-high with nine 3-pointers, propelling the Phoenix Suns to a 115-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Allen’s remarkable accuracy from beyond the arc highlighted the Suns’ triumph, contributing significantly to the team’s win on Wednesday night.
Allen made 10 of 17 shots from the field, including 9 of 15 from long range. His prowess from the 3-point line has been evident throughout the season, with at least eight 3-pointers in seven games, trailing only behind Golden State’s Stephen Curry in this statistic.
“A lot of them were passes from (Devin) Booker and his pick and rolls tonight, early kick aheads, head up in transition,” Allen said. “I told him thank you when we were sitting on the bench after the game. I got a lot of good looks. Missed a few early, but the ball kept finding me and I just continued to let it fly.”
Alongside Allen, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker made substantial contributions, with Durant adding 22 points and Booker nearing a regular-season triple-double with 18 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists. Despite the Suns committing 23 turnovers, Durant emphasized the importance of accumulating wins.
“It’s about getting wins, man. We just want to win games,” Durant said. “I know it’s about how you win sometimes, but at this point of the season, we just need to add wins.”
The Sixers attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter, reducing a 26-point deficit to 11 points. However, critical 3-pointers by Durant and Allen halted their progress and cemented the Suns’ lead.
Philadelphia struggled, with Kelly Oubre Jr. leading the team with 18 points, and the team suffering from poor free-throw shooting and an ongoing slump that coincides with Joel Embiid‘s absence due to knee surgery.
“We just didn’t seem to be moving with the energy we needed to be,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “We know they can devastate you from 3, and we talked about trying to limit their attempts tonight, and we just couldn’t get it done.”
This game also saw Durant surpass Shaquille O’Neal for eighth place on the NBA’s career scoring list, a milestone for the 14-time All-Star.
Despite a rough start, the Suns rallied to lead by halftime, showcasing their rebounding and 3-point shooting strengths, with Grayson Allen’s performance standing out. “He’s always a threat to do what he did tonight,” Suns coach Frank Vogel remarked.
As the teams look ahead, the 76ers are set to host Atlanta, while the Suns will face the Lakers, each aiming to build on their current standings.
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