Duke basketball alum Grayson Allen helps seal Bucks win in opener

Grayson Allen drew 61 starts last season, his first campaign with the Milwaukee Bucks. And in the team's 90-88 season-opening road win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night, the former four-year Duke basketball shooting guard proved worthy of his starting nod and 32 minutes of playing time.

He helped the Bucks build an early lead via his two splashes from downtown before the game's first timeout. Then late in the fourth quarter, Allen came up clutch as both a bucket-getter and facilitator.

The 27-year-old, now in his fifth year as a pro after going No. 21 overall at the 2018 NBA Draft, instinctively cut to the basket with 1:10 remaining and turned a bounce pass from teammate Jrue Holiday into a lefthanded layup, tying the game at 86-86.

Grayson Allen ties it up for the @Bucks!

BUCKS - SIXERS all tied up with 31 seconds remaining on TNT #KiaTipOff22 pic.twitter.com/PNv8QMoOyT
— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2022

Moments later, the Bucks trailed by two again. But Grayson Allen stepped up with 25 seconds to play by confidently driving into the lane, forcing the defense to over-collapse, and delivering what ended up as the game-winning assist to a wide-open Wesley Matthews from 26 feet out near the top of the key.

"Matthews for the lead!!" pic.twitter.com/xgp1pH0E9t
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 21, 2022

Sure, the 2015 Duke basketball national champ didn't have his best shooting night: 3-for-10 from the field, 2-for-6 from deep, and 4-for-5 from the charity stripe. That seems forgivable, though, given his high basketball IQ and winning mentality were on full display when it mattered most.

Allen finished with 12 points, four assists, and three rebounds.

Milwaukee next hosts the Houston Rockets at 7 p.m. ET Saturday.

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