Sunday’s Game 7 marks Jarrett Allen’s third consecutive loss from the series due to injury.
Jarrett Allen, the big guy in the middle for the Cavaliers, couldn’t play in the crucial Game 7 against Orlando because of a painful rib injury. This injury had already kept him out of the last three games of the series.
Allen had been doing really well for the Cavs throughout the series, especially in Game 2 where he grabbed an impressive 20 rebounds. But it seems like he got hurt, probably in Game 4.
Before Game 7, the Cavs’ coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, wasn’t sure if Allen would be able to play. Allen is a tall guy, 6 feet 11 inches, but his injury was making it hard for him to move around properly on the court.
This season, Allen had been playing great, with his best numbers yet: averaging 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. He’s been with the Cavs for four seasons now, ever since they got him in a trade with Brooklyn.
In the games against Orlando, Allen was doing even better, averaging 17.0 points and a whopping 13.8 rebounds. He really wanted to make up for how things went last year when the Cavs got knocked out in the first round by the New York Knicks. Allen admitted they weren’t ready for the pressure back then, saying the “lights were too bright” for him and his teammates.
