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Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen infamously said that the “lights were brighter than expected” after his struggles during his team’s five-game first-round playoff series loss to the New York Knicks in 2023.
With that, Allen became the centerpiece behind a meme, but the big man smiles when looking back on his “one shining moment,” per comments made during “The Young Man and the Three” podcast.
The 2023 first round was a quiet series for Allen, who averaged just 9.4 points and 7.4 rebounds in 38.2 minutes per game over five starts.
He and the Cavs are enjoying themselves now, though. The 16-1 Cavs won their first 15 games this year, and Allen is averaging 14.4 points and 10.9 rebounds per contest.
The lights weren’t bright for Allen during last year’s playoffs, as he averaged 17.0 points and 13.8 rebounds during the first four games of his team’s eventual seven-game first-round win over the Orlando Magic.
Unfortunately, Allen suffered a rib injury in Game 4 of that series, and he sat out the remainder of the playoffs, including a second-round five-game defeat to the Boston Celtics.
He’ll almost certainly get a chance to make an imprint on the playoffs yet again. It’s still early, but the Cavs have clearly been the NBA’s best team through the first month of the season. A deep playoff run could be in the works, and Allen, who has been tremendous thus far, should be right in the mix.
For now, Allen and the Cavs are looking to build a new winning streak after beating the New Orleans Pelicans 128-100 to move to 16-1. The Toronto Raptors are up next, and they’ll head to Cleveland on Sunday for a 7:30 p.m. ET matchup.
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