Duke Basketball Champ Returns From Soreness, Fuels Significant Victory

Former Duke basketball guard Grayson Allen led all scorers in a battle between contenders.

Former Duke basketball guard Grayson Allen / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

After sitting out the Phoenix Suns' home victory over the formidable Cleveland Cavaliers two nights prior due to hip soreness, Grayson Allen returned to the starting lineup on Friday night. And the Duke basketball product exhibited no signs of discomfort.

Allen tallied a game-high 23 points en route to the surging Suns (46-31), now No. 6 in the Western Conference standings and riding a three-game winning streak, defeating the West-leading Minnesota Timberwolves (53-24), 97-87. He added eight rebounds, one assist, and two steals across his 33 minutes on the floor, shooting 6-for-14 from the field, 4-for-8 from downtown, and 7-for-8 at the charity stripe.

As for the Timberwolves' lone Duke basketball alum, second-year forward Wendell Moore Jr., who has bounced back and forth between the Timberwolves and their G League affiliate this season, played four minutes off the bench in the contest, scoring two points and dishing out one assist.

RELATED: List of Every Former Blue Devil Currently in the NBA

Through 70 appearances as a full-time starter in his first campaign with the Suns, Grayson Allen is averaging a career-high 13.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. Moreover, the 2015 national champion and former No. 21 overall draft pick continues to lead the NBA with his career-best 47.0 shooting percentage beyond the arc, and his 87.8 free throw percentage ranks No. 13 in the league.

The @NBA's best three-point shooter:

GRAYSON ALL3N 🎯🎯🎯 pic.twitter.com/W64ZcDFlmk

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 6, 2024

The Suns next host the New Orleans Pelicans, featuring NBA Blue Devils Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, at 6 p.m. ET Sunday.

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