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Surprising player puts up wild stat line never seen in NBA history
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The ghost of Wilt Chamberlain seemed to take hold of one of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ big men Sunday during the team’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jarrett Allen did his best Wilt impression in front of a stunned road crowd inside Moda Center in Portland, Ore. The 27-year-old center went off for 40 points on 16/23 shooting from the field and 8/12 from the free throw line. He also tallied 17 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks in a 130-111 drubbing of the Blazers.

Allen did not commit a single turnover in the contest, making him the first player in NBA history to record 40+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a single game without committing a turnover.

What made Allen’s feat even more impressive is that he did all that in under 30 minutes of game action. He became the first player with a 40-15-5 stat line without crossing the 30-minute threshold.

The Cavs big man didn’t do it against any undersized centers, either. He racked up his career-best stat line against defensive studs Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III.

Allen is by no means a replacement-level player. He made an All-Star game a few seasons ago and came into the year averaging nearly double-digit rebounds per game for his career. But if you made a random fan guess which player accomplished the feat, most people would probably name 30 other All-Stars before even considering the Cavaliers star.

Allen had only scored 30 or more points in three of his career 606 games entering Sunday’s contest. The man clearly woke up on the right side of the bed that morning.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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