According to the report, which cited unidentified sources, Mayo owed Allen money following the game and became increasingly angry toward Allen when asked to settle the debt. Several players eventually had to separate the teammates.
Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace acknowledged the altercation in an e-mailed statement but provided no details about what caused the skirmish. He said: “The club considers the matter closed and will not comment further.”
Before Memphis issued its statement, Allen lamented the missed layups but said he buckled down on defense to atone for his sloppy offensive play early on.
“I’ve got to start dunking,” Allen said. “There ain’t no excuse. … I’m going to start finishing.”
The Grizzlies were thin at shooting guard, making Allen’s performance even more important. Mayo, a reserve who is averaging 13.2 points, did not play due to bronchitis. Rookie guard Xavier Henry (FSY) missed the game with a sore knee.
“I’m just going to play my role, and stay within the realm of things,” said Allen, who signed with Memphis this past offseason. “Just pretty much sticking to the blueprint — that’s defense, get my energy off the defensive end, and things will start falling offensively. That’s what happened tonight.”
