On paper, the 2025-26 Phoenix Suns roster is a bit less talented than last year's squad, mostly due to the departure of future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant. Making matters worse, the main piece the Suns got in the Durant trade, Jalen Green, re-aggravated his hamstring injury. But this Suns team has been playing enjoyable basketball to start the new campaign, and that continued on Monday night in their 121-98 beatdown of the New Orleans Pelicans.
With Green on the mend yet again, the Suns needed Grayson Allen to step up once more. Allen did just that, and then some. He woke up feeling dangerous, wanting to make it rain from beyond the arc, and the Pelicans could not do anything to stop him. Allen poured in 42 points to lead all scorers, with the Suns guard doing the bulk of his damage from beyond the arc — going 10-15 from deep.
In so doing, Allen now holds sole possession of the Suns franchise record for most three-point makes in a single game, according to the official Suns account on X (formerly Twitter). Allen had made nine threes in a single game for the Suns thrice before in his career, joining the likes of Landry Shamet, Cam Johnson, Aron Baynes, Channing Frye, and Quentin Richardson as players who had accomplished this feat. But now, Allen one-upped them and himself and now stands alone at the top.
The Pelicans' defense was once again hapless, and Allen made them pay over and over again. It seems like Allen, in a huge role, is due for at least one of these games every single year, and Christmas came early for the 30-year-old guard.
Suns are playing better basketball than expected
Not too many expected the Suns to at least play respectable basketball to start the 2025-26 season. But they are playing motivated basketball under first-year head coach Jordan Ott, and they are playing gritty, two-way basketball that is doing enough to get them wins.
This latest victory over the Pelicans is the Suns' sixth in 11 games this season. Allen will look to keep it going on Wednesday when they take on the Dallas Mavericks.
