During Wednesday’s battle between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks, star big men Jarrett Allen and Giannis Antetokounmpo exchanged impressive dunks on each other.
Allen’s came in the third quarter, and Antetokounmpo returned the favor in the fourth quarter.
Throw it DOWN Jarrett Allen 😱💪
Cavs lead in Q3 on the NBA App!
📲 https://t.co/1pomR04bRi pic.twitter.com/m1sPD21oez
— NBA (@NBA) December 22, 2022
Giannis caught a body!! 😲😲 pic.twitter.com/5nFiCIXnYj
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) December 22, 2022
Following the game, Antetokounmpo explained that he and Allen had an amusing back-and-forth after the two-time MVP’s dunk.
“He had a good play on me, but I was able to get him back,” Antetokounmpo said. “We were going back on defense and I told him ‘I got you back.’ He laughed and said, ‘Yeah I got you too.’ I said, ‘Yeah and I got you too.’ We kept going back and forth like that. I love that — he’s not backing down, and I’m not backing down.”
It’s awesome that Antetokounmpo enjoyed his battle with Allen on Wednesday. The six-time All-Star may have outplayed the Cavs center, but Allen got the last laugh, as Cleveland walked away with a 114-106 win.
Antetokounmpo finished the game with 45 points and 14 rebounds. Allen, meanwhile, had 19 points and eight boards. Both players were very efficient, as Antetokounmpo went 17-for-27 from the field, and Allen went 8-for-10.
It was a big win for the Cavs, as it extended their winning streak to five games and pushed their record to 22-11 on the season. Moreover, the team is now just one game back of the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference and half a game back of the No. 2 spot.
Allen is having another impressive season for Cleveland. His scoring average is down slightly compared to that of last season, but that’s partly because his usage rate is down as well. His usage dip can be attributed to the addition of Donovan Mitchell, who has been a high-volume scorer for the Cavs since his arrival.
Overall this season, Allen is averaging a double-double of 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per contest to go along with a shooting clip of 62.0 percent from the field. He continues to be a fantastic piece of the puzzle for Cleveland.
The Cavs have four games remaining before the calendar flips to 2023. Those matchups will come against the Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls, with the first two being at home and the last two coming on the road.
