On Wednesday evening, the Phoenix Suns were eliminated from the NBA Cup tournament with a blowout 49-point loss at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road. Playing without Devin Booker, the Suns knew some of their unsung players would have to step up, and unfortunately, none of them did, as the team finished with just 89 points on the game.
One controversial moment occurred in this game when shooting guard Grayson Allen found himself ejected after a hard collision with Thunder big man Chet Holmgren.
After the game, Allen spoke on the incident.
“Felt like I gave a good foul within the physicality of the game and what was going on both ends, especially with the bumps on screens, some of the hits on block-outs that were happening,” said Allen, per the Associated Press, via ESPN.
Thunder wing Jalen Williams also spoke on how the incident motivated his team.
“It just added more juice to the game,” Williams said. “The fans were into it a little bit more, so naturally, you're playing a little harder. So it was kind of a good thing, to be honest. We started playing the way we usually play. A little more amped up.”
Accusations of dirty play have followed Allen throughout his career dating back to his time with the Duke Blue Devils, although it has been several years since he has been at the center of a controversy.
The foul on Holmgren wouldn't seem to rise nearly to the level of some of his previous incidents, so it's unlikely that the fallout from this one will be too severe.
In any case, the Suns now have a matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, the loser on the other side of the Western Conference NBA Cup tournament bracket, on Sunday evening at home at 8:00 pm ET.
