Jarrett Allen reacts to surprising MVP chants amid his remarkable Game 7 performance originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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For a long time, Jarrett Allen has been part of the core four on the Cleveland Cavaliers. That is Allen, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and now, James Harden. In the past, that was Darius Garland, but he was the one traded for Harden at the 2026 deadline.
For most people, Allen is the least prominent in the core quartet, but he made sure to make his name known in Game 7 of the first round series against the Toronto Raptors. He had a dominant performance, getting 22 points and 19 rebounds. It was such a good game that Cavs fans at Rocket Arena were chanting MVP at Allen.
The surprising MVP chants for the Cavs’ Jarrett Allen
When people think about the modern-day Cavaliers, they most likely think about Mitchell and Mobley. They are the team’s best players, but that changed a bit in the Playoffs. Mitchell struggled against the Raptors, while Mobley was clearly the best Cavs player out there.
Thankfully, the core group had some good performances in Game 7, but Allen was truly the standout. It felt like he always found his way to get the ball with his rebounding, but he was also quite energetic with hustle plays.
MORE: Donovan Mitchell is glad to have James Harden’s presence on the Cavaliers roster
That is what people want from Allen all the time. He is a workhorse, and when his energy is up, the opponents mostly struggle. Moving forward, he might receive more MVP chants, something that he did not expect to happen in Game 7.
“Probably from the bench jokingly. Got a little nervous out there. I thought it was Donovan Mitchell receiving the MVP chants,” Allen said about how he felt when he received MVP chants during Game 7.
The Detroit Pistons will be the Cavaliers’ opponents in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. It will be a grueling matchup for both teams, but this time, it will be much more reliant on the big men because Allen and Mobley against Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart will be exciting and physical.
More NBA news:
- The Cavaliers are now the team to beat in the Eastern Conference Playoffs
- Jarrett Allen had one of the best performances of his career in Game 7
- How an omen from LeBron James gives the Cavaliers some hope for an NBA championship
- Why Evan Mobley needed to redeem himself in Game 7 against the Raptors
- Donovan Mitchell’s honesty about how the Cavaliers needing to protect their home court advantage in Game 7