Jarrett Allen silences critics with the game of his life

Jarrett Allen silences critics with the game of his life originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Cleveland Cavaliers closed out Game 7 against the Toronto Raptors with a final score of 114-102, putting the Cavs into Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs. It was a game that was close for the first half, with both teams heading into halftime tied at 49. It looked like a yet another long night of back-and-forth action just like the rest of the series had been up until that point. Then Jarrett Allen stepped out ontot he court for the third quarter.

Allen, the Cavs' defensive standout at center, and oftne the subject of fans criticicsm, went on to have the most impactful third quarter of the series, posting a double-double in that single quarter alone. During the third quarter, he scored 10 points, shooting 5-6, while pulling down 10 rebounds against a very tough Raptors squad. Had that been all, his third-quarter stats would've made for a solid outing for the entire game, but that wasn't it for him.

Allen was a beast for the entire game. For the night, he had 22 points, 19 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. It was an all-time performance for the center, who stepped up in a big way at a time when the team needed another name to step up. After Game 6, it became obvious that the Cavs needed one of their bigs to step up and help clear the paint offensively. The obvious name was , especially after the outing he put up.