The Cavaliers have been waiting four years to see Jarrett Allen play with the tenacity he has shown the past few weeks. The question that won’t be answered until May or June is whether he can play with the same effort and passion in the playoffs. Allen has scored in double figures in 12 straight g ames and has posted double-doubles in nine of the last 11 games. He finished with nine rebounds and 21 points playing 27 minutes in a 138-113 blowout of the Washington Wizards on Feb. 11. He scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 31 minutes before fouling out Feb. 27 when the undermanned Cavaliers (Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Dean Wade and Keon Ellis were out with injuries) lost the Pistons, 122-119, in overtime in Detroit. “He’s caught this wave, this momentum,” Coach Kenny Atkinson said on Feb. 24. “He’s playing out of his mind at both ends. He’s playing great basketball. “Bringing James (Harden) in has given us a renewed confidence. We understand we’re a better team. That confidence makes you play harder and compete harder and compete harder defensively. I felt we were missing that.” Allen has heard since the 2023 playoffs that he isn’t tough enough, especially in the postseason. He is a mellow person and will never be a fiery player in the form of Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors. As an example, Allen apologized to each official when he got a rare technical foul in the Feb. 11 game with the Wizards. Allen’s offense? He used profanity to object to a call. Allen said Atkinson challenged him to be more assertive. He took that edict to heart, especially when Evan Mobley was sidelined with a calf injury before the All-Star break. Allen, in fact, says he is playing better than at any time since he entered the NBA as a first-round pick of the Brooklyn Nets in 2017. He is the first Cavaliers player since LeBron James in 2005 to average 22 points, 11 rebounds and 1.3 blocks a game over the 10-game stretch before facing the Pistons. “I probably am (playing the best of my career),” Allen said after scoring 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in a 109-94 win over the Knicks on Feb. 24. “Numbers don’t lie. I don’t know exactly what the numbers are, but rebounding, scoring, just facilitating out there and doing everything to the best of my ability. “Obviously, James Harden is the elephant in the room, but I feel like I was striving to play well even before he came. And then he came and just elevated my game.” The Cavaliers acquired Harden by trading Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers for him on Feb. 4. Mobley missed seven games with his calf injury and benefited from the eight-day All-Star break in mid-February. He was easing his way back to not playing on restricted minutes. He has played in four of six games since returning from the injury. The Feb. 27 game with the Pistons — 23 points and 12 rebounds — was his best since he scored 29 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in a 123-118 win over the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 23. When Mobley is fully healthy, he and Allen can be dynamic defenders in the paint — if Allen continues playing as he has. Allen shook his head when asked whether he is playing harder in this stretch. “Harder?” Allen said in response to the question. “I wouldn’t say harder. I don’t feel like I’m giving 100 percent on every single play. That’s just not possible in the NBA with how many possessions there are. I think I’m playing smarter and understanding the game more.” Whether he’s playing harder or better, the Cavaliers like what they are seeing from Jarrett Allen. I didn’t know that … until I read my Snapple bottle cap. Scientists estimate there are 10 quintillion insects living on Earth. That’s a 10 followed by 18 zeroes. … Maine produces more wild blueberries than anywhere else in the world. … Ketchup was sold as a medicine to cure indigestion, diarrhea, and jaundice in the 1830s. … The state motto of Kansas is “Ad astra per aspera.” The phrase is Latin for “To the stars through difficulties” and is depicted on the state seal, which shows a farm under a star-filled sky. … Your big toe has two bones. The others have three bones. … A full-grown porcupine has more than 30,000 quills ...read more read less