Memphis Grizzlies guard Luke Kennard is the NBA’s reigning back-to-back season leader in 3-point percentage.
He ranks No. 2 in that stat this go-round at 46.1 percent, but he has been closing the gap on a fellow Duke basketball alum in Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen, who entered Thursday night with the league-best 47.1 percent.
RELATED: Cool Honor for Former Duke Sensation Luke Kennard Allen, a full-time starter in his first season with the Suns (37-26), gave himself a bit more cushion via his 8-for-14 clip from deep, his only field goal attempts in a 120-113 home win over the Toronto Raptors (23-40).
Seven of the 28-year-old’s Thursday night threes came in the first quarter alone, setting a franchise record for the most in any quarter. Allen, a first-rounder in 2018 following four Duke basketball campaigns that included a national championship his freshman year, finished with 26 points, three rebounds, three assists, and one block.
And Grayson Allen, now averaging a career-high 13.1 points, wasn’t the only potent scorer among the three NBA Blue Devils in the contest.
No, Toronto guards RJ Barrett and Gary Trent Jr. combined for 53. Barrett, a 2018-19 Duke star, tallied 23, shooting 9-for-16 from the field, 3-for-4 beyond the arc, and 2-for-3 at the charity stripe. As for Trent, the 2017-18 Blue Devil poured in a team-high 30, going 11-for-22 from the field, 5-for-13 from downtown, and 3-for-3 at the line.
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