How the Cavs having Jarrett Allen’s back unleashed his aggressive side

Cleveland Cavaliers a great man Jarrett Allen dominated without a problem Washington Wizards in the interior on Friday night.

Upstart Alexander Sarr and the Wizards frontcourt had no answer to his will on the glass as Allen grabbed 14 rebounds, eight of which were offensive boards to give Cleveland a second chance in a 148-114 drubbing of the Wine and Gold.

He was diving to the rim in pick-and-rolls, dunking on everyone, passing to his guys and going down the floor for loose balls. Allen scored 16 points, dished out three dimes, had two steals and denied a Sarah layup attempt highlighted by a team-high plus-27 in the standings.

“He’s a player that changes the way we play,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said in a postgame press conference following the 148-114 loss. “When he’s doing really well, we’re unstoppable, quite frankly. And when he’s not, we’re overwhelmed. Guys know that. You can ask the players, ‘Which player determines our ceiling?’ He’s probably the guy to answer… There are all the voices and swing players. He kind of puts it on one side or the other.”

Atkinson stressed that he and the Cavs need to make sure Allen continues to get touches, because that activates him.

“Honestly, I was just out there having fun,” Allen told FanDuel Sports Network’s Serene Winters of Ohio. “It’s one of those games, when I’m with my teammates, everybody’s in a good mood. We’re going into a tough stretch, and you want to start it strong. So all of that together helped me come out strong.”

On Halloween, Allen missed his first game since the 2024 NBA playoffs with a broken left ring finger. He had a goal of playing in every contest a year after that postseason, and he did so with 91 appearances.

During the summer, Atkinson spoke with Allen about reducing that number to ensure his freshness during the most critical part of the season. The accident made it happen on its own, but Allen’s willingness to play through the pain and show up earned him even more respect and admiration from his teammates.

“He’s our iron man on this team,” Darius Garland said Wednesday. “JA is tough. So we let the media do what they do. We come out here and play 48 minutes of basketball and try to do our best.”

“Before he got hurt two years ago, he was probably our best player against a very, very physical Orlando team,” Sam Merrill added. ‘Like, he dominated that series. Anyone can find what they want, but I’d say that’s not the guy you want to question. Like, he’s a tough guy, and he’s up for a challenge. I mean, he literally has a broken finger, and he’s just playing outside.”

Allen has already returned from a short stay on the sidelines because both he and the Cavs decided to let the finger heal naturally. He chose this path because the medical staff told him the procedure was not necessary if he believed he could grind it out.

“I could definitely feel it on some plays where the ball was coming at me and I had to catch it with my left hand,” Allen said. “Any kind of big left hand shot will definitely take me out for a second, but it wasn’t too, too bad. I’m just trying to figure out a way around it, a way to make sure I don’t put him in a vulnerable situation and get past him.”

Donovan Mitchell is tired of criticism from Cavs teammate Jarrett Allen

Feeling refreshed, Allen dominated the Philadelphia 76ers in his last game, returning from a brief stint on the sidelines. He recorded 24 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, three blocks and an assist. Again, Allen topped the Cavs’ score with a plus-24.

That night, Cleveland All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell couldn’t help but address the misguided local narrative surrounding the 27-year-old center at the podium. When Cleveland.com’s Ethan Sands gave him the open word, Speeda started riffing — ready and waiting.

“I saw somebody, a Cavs fan, tweet that they’re mad, like it’s selfish of ME that he didn’t have surgery. And I’m like, this is the same guy you got mad at for sitting out because he had a rib, right,” Mitchell said. “This guy goes to work every day. He gives us his all every night. He played all 82 through all the injuries last year, (they) had to sit him the last two games, and then (he) has a night like (Wednesday) against two tough bigs. He’s phenomenal. He doesn’t get enough credit, the credit he deserves.

“The world is focused on his quote from the Knicks series, and he doesn’t care, but it shouldn’t be. Like, this guy is really important to what we do. To see him have a night like (Wednesday) is a big deal, and I hate the fact that he sucks for it. This man, he’s grown every year for me to be happy with him. He’s happy. Hell of a player, hell of a person.”

Allen returned with a vengeance in his first pair of contests on the floor, looking his usual self as a rim protector and in the paint.

“I go to work. I feel like this is my job to be there for my teammates,” Allen said. “My finger hurt quite a bit, but it didn’t hurt enough to where I feel like I can’t contribute. And it’s honestly a little weird to take games off and not be out, so I just gave what I had.”

“Honestly, if my finger hurt enough to where I couldn’t contribute, I would have sat. But I have enough in me to go out and play.”