OKLAHOMA CITY — Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen was ejected from an NBA Cup quarterfinal recreation towards Oklahoma Metropolis on Wednesday evening after he shoved Thunder heart Chet Holmgren and knocked him to the ground.
The Thunder led 94-58 with 5:18 left within the third quarter when Allen and Holmgren collided whereas Holmgren gave the impression to be setting a display screen. Allen prolonged each arms, knocking Holmgren off stability. After the foul, the groups got here collectively in a skirmish close to the place the contact occurred. The play was reviewed, and Allen was referred to as for a flagrant foul 2, drawing a roar from the group.
Oklahoma Metropolis rolled to a 138-89 victory and superior to a semifinal recreation Saturday in Las Vegas.
Allen stated he did not assume the contact warranted an ejection. He had been knocked to the ground by Holmgren on a boxout shortly earlier than the altercation.
“Felt like I gave an excellent foul throughout the physicality of the sport and what was happening each ends, particularly with the bumps on screens, a few of the hits on block-outs that have been taking place,” stated Allen, who completed with 10 factors on 3-of-9 capturing.
After the groups separated and the Thunder walked again to their bench, Oklahoma Metropolis’s Jalen Williams overrated the group.
Williams stated Allen’s antics have been “a factor he is accomplished his entire profession.”
“It simply added extra juice to the sport,” Williams stated. “The followers have been into it slightly bit extra, so naturally, you are taking part in slightly more durable. So it was type of an excellent factor, to be trustworthy. We began taking part in the way in which we normally play. A bit extra amped up.”
The Thunder outscored the Suns 44-31 the remainder of the way in which, together with 28-17 within the fourth quarter, to ship Phoenix to its worst loss in franchise historical past.
“The sport simply, like, restarted,” Williams stated. “And I believe that bled over into the unit that completed the sport. So you have to give them props, too.”
Phoenix guard Dillon Brooks, who has taken exception to Oklahoma Metropolis’s bodily play prior to now, stated he did not match the Thunder’s vitality.
“I performed type of mushy right now,” stated Brooks, who led the Suns with 16 factors. “I ought to have been mixing it up extra as a substitute of Grayson. They referred to as two fast ones, and I used to be weak. After which, shoot, I bought to be higher for my teammates, so possibly you get a greater probability at successful.”
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