Jarrett Allen’s Monster Performance Carries Cavs To Win Over Bulls

Cleveland's star center had a performance not seen in an NBA game in over 13 years in the Cavaliers' 109-95 victory over Chicago tonight.

Entering this season, the Cleveland Cavaliers had four NBA All-Stars on their roster.

Tonight, however, only one suited up to play against the Chicago Bulls.

With Donovan Mitchell (illness), Darius Garland (fractured jaw), and Evan Mobley (left arthroscopic knee surgery) all out, Cleveland needed a strong performance from its only remaining All-Star to snap the team’s three-game road losing streak.

“Strong” may not be strong enough to describe the game that Jarrett Allen had in the Wine and Gold’s 109-95 victory tonight.

The 25-year-old had 19 points (6-9 FG, 0-1 3PT, 7-10 FT) and season-highs of 17 rebounds and seven assists in 34 minutes. He also recorded a steal and a block defensively.

According to @CavsNotes on X, Allen is the first player in Cavaliers history to record at least 19 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists, and zero turnovers in a game. He is also the first NBA player to record these numbers in over 13 years.

.@_bigjayy_ tonight:

19 PTS
17 REB (season high)
7 AST (season high)
0 Turnovers

Allen is the 1st player with 19+ PTS, 17+ REB, 7+ AST and 0 TOs in @cavs history.

The last @NBA player to accomplish this feat was David Lee on March 3, 2010 (21 PTS, 18 REB, 8 AST, 0 TO).

— Cavs Notes (@CavsNotes) December 24, 2023

The 6-foot-11 big man was a menace on the offensive glass, grabbing eight offensive rebounds. 

These were crucial for Cleveland's follow-up efforts on offense, as the Cavaliers outscored the Bulls 30-4 in second-chance points.

After the game, Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff commended Allen for his monster performance.

“[Allen] was a beast. To go out and do what he did, help us get extra possessions, he had eight offensive rebounds. He was elite in the paint on both ends of the floor. This is what ‘team’ is all about, right? You see where we are, what we’re missing. And to have the ability, and the courage, and the want to go out and dominate a game. To impact, because he wanted to help us win, speaks to his character and just how special of a person and a player he is.”