It wasn’t hard to see how much Thursday’s victory over the Winnipeg Sea Bears meant to new Saskatchewan Rattlers star guard Teddy Allen, providing an emotional outburst on the court after shaking the hands of his former teammates.
The victory came less than a month after being released by the Sea Bears in a move that shocked the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
“I didn’t have to come play in the CEBL but I wanted to,” said Allen. “I didn’t want to leave with that taste in my mouth.”
Released from the organization after multiple disagreements with the team on and off the court, Allen got the best of his former team Thursday in a 96-84 victory with a 21-point effort to help the Rattlers snap a seven-game losing streak.
Following his unceremonious exit in Winnipeg, the reigning CEBL Most Valuable Player said he had this game circled on his calendar.
“As a competitor these are the moments you live for,” said Allen. “Those guys over there know I’m a competitor at the highest level. It’s all in the fun of the game, I’ve got a lot of love for those guys. Those are the games you want to play the best in.”
Allen has become the key cog in the Rattlers backcourt following the departure of guards Jalen Harris and Elijah Harkless in recent weeks, providing an immediate scoring touch to a Saskatchewan team which has remade its roster mid-season due to injury and players finding opportunities elsewhere to play.
While Allen was able to enact some revenge against the Sea Bears, it was former Rattlers star Justin Wright-Foreman posting a game-high 31 points in the loss.
Finishing as runner-up to Allen in MVP voting last season, Wright-Foreman signed with Winnipeg in June after breaking several single-season records during his lone season in Saskatchewan.
It marked a return to the ‘Snake Pit’ which brought back a wave of emotion for the former NBA player.
“I miss being here,” said Wright-Foreman. “I miss the people here, obviously I got a lot of love being here and this is like my second home. But I’m here to do a job and I’m on the other team now.”
Since signing with Winnipeg, Wright-Foreman has averaged a league-leading 27 points per game and is chasing his second-straight CEBL scoring title sitting 1.1 points ahead of Allen in that category.
While his uniform is different compared to last year’s green and gold, what hasn’t changed is his interactions with the young fans at SaskTel Centre.
“That means something to me because I can see myself in their shoes,” said Wright-Foreman. “They’re telling me like I’m their favourite player, which is very humbling for me in telling me how much I did for them last year.”
Saskatchewan’s win has kept the team’s playoff hopes alive, improving to a 6-9 record after earning their first victory dating back to June 12 over the Brampton Honey Badgers.
With 2024 mainstays like Harris, Harkless, Maurice Calloo, Grant Basile and Bryson Williams leaving the team mid-season, the Rattlers have added several new faces including Jaden Bediako, James Montgomery, Jeremiah Mordi and Tyrell Green.
Abney is hopeful that Thursday’s win will serve as a baseline for this new-look roster to chase a playoff spot down the stretch drive of the season.
“As long as we’re in the water we’re going to keep swimming,” said Abney. “This just kept us swimming a little longer. My message to the guys after the game was, ‘Good win, great win, good job, breathe easy tonight, but we’re not out of the woods.'”
According to Allen, the Rattlers have given him a new lease on life in the CEBL and is eager to repay the favour and help Saskatchewan climb out of the basement of the Western Conference.
“I’m grateful for them,” said Allen. “Hopefully I can just try to give back as much as I can and make the playoffs.”
With just five games remaining in the CEBL regular season for the Rattlers, they continue their home stand on Sunday with a matinee affair against the Calgary Surge at 4:00 pm.
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