Milwaukee Bucks guard Grayson Allen is a notable thorn in the Chicago Bulls' side. 11 months ago, Bulls guard and fan favorite Alex Caruso went up for a dunk in transition, but Allen pulled him down ominously. Caruso broke his wrist in the aftermath, causing him to miss 21 games after needing surgery. And now, Allen is under fire once more, this time for a shove on DeMar DeRozan.
With less than seven minutes left in the third quarter and the Bucks locked in a tight contest with the Bulls, Grayson Allen ended up throwing DeMar DeRozan straight to the ground as he lost his balance before trying to set a screen. Understandably, DeRozan became upset, with the Bulls guard dishing some barbs towards Allen's way. In fact, despite being pulled away by his teammates and coaches, DeRozan didn't stop barking at the polarizing Bucks guard.
DeMar DeRozan was not happy with Grayson Allen after this play. pic.twitter.com/YpUGOl6WX3
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 29, 2022
Nonetheless, Allen was adamant that he wasn't being dirty on purpose. After the game, he explained what happened during the play. He pled his innocence especially after he thought Patrick Williams pushed him towards DeRozan.
“(It was) exactly what the video showed. I went to set a screen and got bumped into DeMar,” Allen said, per Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. “When you go to get bumped into somebody, you put your arm out to stop yourself. I didn't try to run him over.”
Try as Grayson Allen might, he'll definitely find it difficult to earn the benefit of the doubt. After all, not only has he been guilty of a dirty play against the Bulls before, he also has a history of tripping his opponents.
At the very least, Allen didn't try and escalate the tense situation. Allen understands where DeRozan's fury is coming from, even if they weren't able to make amends after the fact.
“He was upset. He got blindsided by a screen. […] I was trying to talk to him, but then he was talking to somebody else… I never spoke with him after the play.” Allen added.
At the end of the day, DeMar DeRozan and the Bulls had the last laugh after they took home a 119-113 victory over the Bucks as Giannis Antetokounmpo struggled in overtime. The next matchup between these two teams will come on February 16, which could perhaps add another chapter to the growing list of Grayson Allen antics against the Bulls.
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