Grayson Allen ties Suns record for 3s in win over Heat

Phoenix Suns wing Grayson Allen tied the franchise record for 3-pointers made in a single game with nine on Friday in a 113-97 win over the Miami Heat at Footprint Center.

Allen threatened to capture the record by halftime, shooting 7-for-10 from deep before the break. He knocked down catch-and-shoot 3s, as well as a triple off a pump fake and side-step that freed him from Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr.

He finished the first half with 23 points to lead Phoenix, which went up 62-55.

Allen hit his eighth 3 in the third period and his ninth in the fourth quarter to finish the game with 31 points on 9-for-14 shooting from deep. The rest of the Suns shot 5-for-20 from out there. Bradley Beal was second in scoring with 25 points.

“I knew I was at eight,” Allen told reporters postgame. “I kind of thought I was done for the night. Coach (Frank Vogel) put me in. I was lucky to get that swing from Brad (Beal). Open corner 3. When I got that one, I shot that one knowing that if this goes in, that was nine.”

Grayson is on FIRE in the first half with 23 points on 7 3-pointers 👌🔥@PayPal Highlight of the Game! pic.twitter.com/usoCHQousD

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 6, 2024

Damion Lee dumped water on Allen during his postgame interview on the court.

The first-year Suns player knocked down four triples in the opening quarter for 12 points and shot 3-for-4 from beyond the arc in the second period.

Allen also made a driving layup on which the Heat overcommitted to the 3 and left a lane open for Allen to drive to his right.

Grayson Allen is on FIRE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/oRiZzSFsTC

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) January 6, 2024

“He is a sniper, somebody that I have a bunch of trust in on the court,” Devin Booker said postgame. “Not only to make 3s, but to play make and to defend at a high level. Everybody is going to see the 3s made. But people start running him off the line, he is not one of those guys that is one dimensional where you run him off the line and he does not know what to do. He still gets in the paint, still draws fouls and still makes the right play for other people.”

Cam Johnson, Landry Shamet, Aron Baynes, Channing Frye and Quentin Richardson all hit nine 3s in games for Phoenix. Shamet was last to do so in December 2022.

Allen hit eight 3s on Nov. 8 versus the Chicago Bulls, which tied his then-career high.

His season high for points entering Friday was 32 on Christmas Day against the Dallas Mavericks.

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