Jarrett Allen picked up right where he left off in his return from a knee injury that kept him out a month.
Kenny Atkinson typically gives the starting lineup a fist bump as their name is introduced, but on Friday night, he gave Jarrett Allen a big hug in his first game back after a knee injury that kept him out a month.
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ head coach joked after the game that he forgot he was on the team because of how much time he had missed, so, instead of the usual routine, he hugged him. But considering how much Allen means to this Cavaliers team, that embrace was well warranted with his return.
Cleveland has missed Allen's presence both on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, and having him back in the lineup is a welcome sign as the team gets closer
Allen was playing some of his best basketball, not just of the season, but also with the Cavaliers before the knee injury.
Thankfully, he was able to pick up right where he left off on the court, playing alongside James Harden, who has some incredible advanced numbers in a small sample size.
Mar 27, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) drives to the basket against the Miami Heat during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesAllen only played 18 minutes on Friday, partly because Cleveland’s largest lead of the night grew to 36 points. That said, JA made the most of every second he was on the floor. The Cavaliers center ended the night with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while shooting 80 percent (8-for-10) from the floor, logging his 19th double-double of the season.
“What's kind of cool is that we didn't really miss a beat, because he was playing great before he got hurt, and playing great with Evan and James,” Atkinson said. ”Looks like that two-big lineup is, can be potent.”
Cleveland’s defense has been a hot topic of conversation over the last few weeks, and not for good reasons.
While the Cavaliers can’t solely rely on Allen to be the anchor on that end of the floor, Atkinson did point out that having his rim protection, along with simply his spirit on defense, was huge.
The Cavaliers objectively look like a more complete team when Allen is in the starting lineup, and with eight regular-season games left to play, Cleveland got one of their most impactful players back at the right time.
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