The short-handed Suns pulled off an unlikely win against the Timberwolves tonight. In a bizarre moment during the game, near the end of the second quarter, Grayson Allen pulled off an extraordinary move that left NBA fans dumbfounded. Even the Timberwolves broadcasters could not believe what he had done.
“Grayson Allen steps back, then steps forward, the crowd is furious,” said the Timberwolves broadcaster during the game. Guarded by Naz Reid on the perimeter, Allen attempted to drive into the paint before taking a step back after a gather step, before stepping forward and hitting a tough mid-range shot in a single motion.
HOW DID GRAYSON ALLEN HIT THIS SHOT 🤯 pic.twitter.com/aLnmo4rY7S
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) December 9, 2025
NBA fans debated this play strongly on social media, as most Timberwolves fans believed that Allen traveled on that play, and this was an outlandish no-call. They strongly criticized the referees when they voiced their opinions.
“That’s not a travel, that’s a pilgrimage.”
“Just give the refs the day off. Actually looks like they’ve done that all on their own.”
“Dude did a WORLD TOUR holding that ball like a baby WTF!!!!!!!”
“That’s the sh*t the IG hoopers be doing, saying ‘this actually isn’t a travel.'”
“The NBA isn’t serious anymore. No wonder these teams are dropping 140+ points a night.”
While such fans criticized the officials and the league for letting Grayson Allen do this during the game, some fans also looked at the move in depth and tried to justify the no-call.
“He gathers right before he puts the left foot down, then establishes right as pivot, steps off left foot without coming back down on right foot. It’s clean tbh.”
“Step through in today’s NBA. Pivot foot never comes back down.”
“Impressive footwork. I didn’t know he had that in the bag.”
“So it’s as close as possible to the left foot being down when Mr. Allen ends his dribble with both hands on the ball. Next step is the pivot foot – which does not move until he legally lifts it to shoot before it comes back down.”
Eventually, fans must realize that this is not a new and illegal move, but is a lesser-known one among the new generation. This move is called a step-through. Every NBA player is allowed to take one step while moving the pivot foot after coming to a complete stop, as long as the pivot foot does not land on the floor before the ball is released for the shot.
Step Back ➡️ Step Throughpic.twitter.com/dZIVJFkbxh
— Step Through Joe (@StepThroughJoe) December 9, 2025
Hence, after Allen used the step-back move and ended up stopping fully, he was allowed to take that step ahead, which he did in the play. Making this move completely legal in the NBA today.
The game eventually ended 108-105 in the Suns’ favor as Mark Williams (22 points) and Dillon Brooks (19 points) helped nullify a 40-point masterclass from Anthony Edwards down the stretch in this game.
Other than pulling off this viral move, Allen struggled tonight with only 12 points, three rebounds, and four assists on an inefficient night from the field. He ended up shooting 5-of-16 from the field (31.3%) and 1-of-8 from the three-point range (12.5%).
On a night where Rudy Gobert was ejected from the game, the Suns have managed to pull off an unlikely win without Devin Booker and Jalen Green. While Timberwolves fans have several things to be unhappy about from this game, the Suns fans should feel like they stole a win tonight.
