NBA Cup 2025: Suns’ Grayson Allen ejected after shoving Chet Holmgren to the floor in loss to Thunder
Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen failed to make it to the end of their NBA Cup quarterfinal game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
Allen was ejected after shoving Thunder star Chet Holmgren as he attempted to go around the screen in the third quarter of a 138-89 loss to Oklahoma City at Paycom Center. Allen reached out hard with both arms and sent Holmgren flying to the ground, which sparked a bit of an altercation on the floor.
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Allen walked away as players from both teams crowded together briefly. In the end, they were all separated by officials and assistants without much trouble.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s reaction behind the show, which Amazon Prime’s cameras provided in slow motion, might be the best part.
Allen was given a Flagrant 2 foul for his actions and was immediately ejected. He finished the night with 10 points and four assists while shooting 3-of-9 from the field. Allen, who earned a reputation for stumbling after several incidents in college at Duke, has been relatively quiet on that front after several similar hard fouls and a suspension early in his NBA career. The 30-year-old, now in his third season with the Suns, has averaged 16.9 points and 3.9 assists per game this year, career highs.
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While that’s no excuse, it’s easy to see why Allen might have been frustrated before he was ejected. The Thunder were up by more than 30 points and appeared on their way to yet another blowout win, which secured them a spot in the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas later this week. They took a 26-point lead into the locker room at halftime, then pushed it to 38 points by the end of the third quarter.
The Thunder ultimately rolled to a 49-point victory, their biggest win of the season. They have five 30-point wins so far this season, just three wins away from matching last season’s total.
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Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 16 points and was the only other Phoenix starter to reach double figures. Devin Booker was ruled out early due to a groin injury. The Suns now sit at 14-11.
Gilgeous-Alexander had 28 points and eight assists to lead the Thunder. Holmgren finished with 24 points and eight rebounds. They shot 59 percent from the field as a group and 22 of 40 from behind the arc.
The Thunder have won 16 straight games and 24 of their first 25 games of the season. While it’s still early, the Thunder are on track to break the NBA’s single-season wins record. They advanced to face the Los Angeles Lakers or San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas.