Jarrett Allen | Cavs vs Wolves Post Game | 3.8.2024

Jarrett Allen | Cavs vs Wolves Post Game | 3.8.2024

First of all how’s your elbow from all the free throws uh it could be better if I made a couple of them at the end but you know it’s it’s doing good um you guys are down free starters and you beat the top team in the west right now just

From a confidence standpoint like what does a win like that do fre guys uh it just boosts us for when everybody else comes back uh you know uh contrary to belief I do believe we’re at our best when everybody is is back in the lineup so it’s just going to

Boost us going forward you guys held Anthony edwards’s six points in the entire second half including overtime what is it necessary to do for a guy like that when you have one the perimeter defense on Isaac and then you locking it down in the post uh it takes everybody uh we know Anthony

Edwards is one of the best players in this league at his position and overall so that’s just not a one guy’s one man’s job you have to go out there if he blows by somebody I have to be the secondary Defender to try to help and you know

Them having guys like Nas Reed out there somebody else is going to have have to help on that so it’s going to be everybody’s help you guys also were able to hold rooting to just seven that is your matchup and you kind of frustrated him a lot this game what was your

Mindset going in and how do you feel like you executed that uh just go out there with energy I know I think Rudy gets a lot of hate for what he does but I still think he’s excellent in his position and how he goes out plays the

Game um so for me it was just to try to find little moments where I can you know sneak in grab a rebound tip the ball out or just you know catch him slipping Chris hey jar hey how you doing good how are you I’m good I’m good can

You speak to Isaac’s defense on Anthony Edwards uh it was excellent tonight that’s a big ass to go out and guard an Anthony Edwards especially when he’s he gets hot um and he did it he took the challenge for all 53 minutes minutes you know and he

Got the job done what does it mean to you as a big and to you guys as a defense as a whole to have a point of attack Defender like Isaac who can match up against the opposing best player uh it takes a lot of stress off of us you

Know uh and that’s what he’s been doing since he came in the league Isaac’s he’s excellent at being Isaac you know I don’t know how to describe it but he’s been doing great so it just takes a lot of stress off of us darl jar 1 of your uh rebounds came on

The defensive end right one against Ry I mean just that end of the floor against that size team you know everyone wants to talk about physicality but just what do you take away from being able to bring the physicality tonight yeah just hit them early uh Rudy way 71 has one of

The highest reaches in the league longest wingspan so if I can hit him early and wedge him out from wherever he is that’s going to be an advantage for me me but honestly it’s I always say it’s a group effort you know that’s not one person boxing them out every time

You look it’s see their Isaac coming back to help me Darius was even battling in there so it’s it’s a lot of everybody you guys have had key players bouncing in and out all year because of injury right you know this past you know this past week

You beat Boston leading the East tonight you beat Minnesota who was leading the West right right you feel like you guys are very quietly sending a a message that you are a team that you is going to have to be worried about absolutely uh and

Not only that we’re a team to be worried about but excuse me that we have guys who are ready to play at any single moment I mean but everybody came in and contributed I mean even D Jones and Craig they didn’t get the most minutes but they were still impactful for the

Game so it just shows that we have guys all across the board one through 18 now that can play Jackson uh Jackson before down uid uh Darius had a season high in shot attempts why is it so important for this team when he’s aggressive right uh

He runs the offense you know he’s a primary ball handler primary scorer we have the ball in his hand a lot so if he’s going out there and he’s being confident shooting his shot and shooting good shots at that uh we’re going to follow behind him and that gets the

Whole team going how does it help you ge your game first all um when he starts shooting it you know it gets in guys like Rudy’s head that he has to go help on DG and there’s a couple times where you see that DG understood that and he dished it down to

Me Jerry you mentioned earlier this morning that this one could be a proverbial Rock fight and and it was not a team scored 100 in regulation um there’s there’s a reputation that you guys have going back to last year’s playoffs about Cavs not being tough enough not being physical enough what do

You say in response to that uh I mean I feel like everything in this league is warranted you know in terms of getting a reputation but uh in this league I don’t think reputations always should stick you know I mean every team goes through things every team has ups and downs and

It’s up to us to finally try to break that reputation last one um have you ever had a game with 21 free throws before have I what have you ever had a game with 21 free throws uh I don’t think I’ve had two games with 21 free

Throw before so this is definitely a first so as as side JB said um one of your greatest attributes is just how Dependable you are ontime basis it makes his life easier know he has you that corner what makes you so dependable as a player

Um I don’t know uh you know I’ll say this uh coming up in this league I feel like I wasn’t as Dependable I feel like I’d go out have a double double one game next game I have five and four and for me it was something that I wanted to

Expand on something that I wanted to improve on and be more reliable whether it’s t a double double every single night or just being consistent on the defensive end so for me I’ll would just say it was a growth that I wanted to improve on since my rookie year

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen spoke with the media following a 113-104 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 8, 2024 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.