JB Bickerstaff Seemingly Takes Shot At Jarrett Allen While Praising Luka Doncic

Former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff seemingly took a shot at Jarrett Allen while praising Luka Doncic, whose Dallas Mavericks lost to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals in five games. 

Check it out:

Former Cavs coach J. B. Bickerstaff admired how Luka fought thru pain to play in NBA Finals, more specifically that he took “shots in his ribs” to play.

Audio from @Scalabrine and @TheFrankIsola pic.twitter.com/RA9DPDiG3z

— Anthony Lima (@SportsBoyTony) June 18, 2024

The Cavaliers lost to the Celtics in the second round of this year’s playoffs in five games after beating the Orlando Magic in the first round in seven games.

According to NBA insiders Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, some members of the Cavaliers were frustrated Allen refused an injection to try and numb the pain in his rib and play. 

Allen missed the entire Cavaliers-Celtics series with a rib injury. 

“Allen played in 81 consecutive games counting the regular season and postseason,” Charania, Vardon and Lloyd wrote. “He was initially hit in the ribs in Game 1 against Orlando, and in Game 4 of that series, an elbow by Franz Wagner ‘pierced’ a rib on Allen’s right side, according to multiple team sources. The team listed him as ‘questionable’ to play in every game after that, which means there is a chance, though he was never close to getting back into uniform.

“Few if any, members of the organization doubted the discomfort Allen has been in since the injury, but the frustration among some members of the team was that he refused an injection to try and numb the pain and play.”

The Cavaliers fired Bickerstaff, who went 170-159 in the regular season and 6-11 in the postseason with the Cavaliers.

Allen, who has two years and $40 million left on his contract, averaged 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.1 blocks this season while shooting 63.4% from the field and 74.2% from the free-throw line.  

Allen has career averages of 12.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.3 blocks with the Brooklyn Nets and Cavaliers.