Column: Grayson Allen feeds off the boos from Chicago Bulls fans — and his Milwaukee Bucks teammates — in a sizzling Game 4 performance

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers famously declared “I still own you” last October after beating the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

But now it appears Rodgers may have to work out a timeshare agreement of Chicago teams with Grayson Allen.

The Milwaukee Bucks reserve guard came to the United Center on Friday with a target on his back and dominated the Bulls in back-to-back games, putting them on the brink of elimination in their first-round series.

Allen scored 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting, including 6-of-7 3-point attempts, in the Bucks’ 119-95 blowout victory in Game 4 Sunday, continuing his hot shooting from Friday when he scored 22 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo added 32 points and 17 rebounds in Game 4 as the Bucks showed their superiority over the Bulls.

And Bulls fans can partially blame themselves for Allen’s sizzling shooting. After they loudly booed him March 4 at the United Center in response to Allen’s flagrant foul on Alex Caruso in a Jan. 21 game that sidelined the Bulls guard with a fractured wrist, Bucks players began booing Allen in practice as an inside joke.

Suddenly a tradition was born.

Jrue Holiday said Sunday it was “more fun booing Grayson” on the bench than watching him hit 3-pointers all afternoon.

“It started off the fans booing him, but he be hooping when we boo him,” Holiday said. “So maybe it means something to him, some form of support. I’m still going to be booing the hell out of him.”

Whatever works.

Before Friday Allen had a combined 44 points in nine career playoff games with the Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies and Bucks, who acquired him last summer. But in his last two games in Chicago, Allen had a combined 49 points while shooting 75% (18-for-24) from the field and 79% (11-for-14) from behind the arc.

“He wants the ball, he wants to be the guy that’s going to make shots, make plays,” Antetokounmpo said. “He’s not scared to make plays. He fits in really well with us.”

Allen told the Tribune that the booing by Bulls fans doesn’t motivate him.

“I don’t know if I’m immune, but definitely used to it,” he said Friday with a grin.

The former Duke star was even more lethal Sunday, and Bulls fans just shook their heads at the shooting display and his three steals. The Bucks joined in with the Bulls fans by booing him all afternoon.

“They have so much fun doing it,” Allen said. “I think it’s funny. I think it’s honestly hilarious. They’ve kind of turned it into a fun thing, and it makes hearing it out there during the game a lot easier too.”

Being at Duke provided the guard with an education in being verbally harassed by opposing fans. But thanks to the Caruso incident, booing Allen apparently has become a nonstop diversion for the Bucks.

“Walk on the bus, ‘Boo,’” Allen said. “At the hotel, ‘Boo.’ About to watch film, ‘Boo.’ All the time. Wes (Matthews) probably does it the most. He thinks it’s the funniest.”

Antetokounmpo said the bench’s booing during a 3-point play in Game 3 was iconic.

“Someone showed me a picture… and the whole bench was booing him,” he said. “I thought it was really funny. I thought, ‘He’s got to take that picture and frame it. That’s the definition of his career.’

“But, hey, they (Bulls fans) did this. He’s played amazing. Maybe we’ve got to boo him even more. Maybe Milwaukee fans have got to boo him.”

Antetokounmpo laughed and changed his mind.

“No, we’re not going to do that,” he said. “But (we’re) being in the moment, enjoying the moment. And it’s fun.”

Allen was talented but dogged by notoriety at Duke. The Caruso incident brought that reputation back to the forefront. Bulls coach Billy Donovan was livid, saying Allen’s flagrant foul could’ve ended Caruso’s career.

Allen was widely criticized for not apologizing to Caruso afterward. The Bucks guard said Sunday he left phone messages and that ESPN’s J.J. Reddick falsely claimed Allen didn’t try to contact Caruso.

“I saw on J.J.’s podcast, he said I didn’t reach out, which I did try,” he said. “I tried two different ways and then when I saw (Reddick’s remarks) I got another number from somebody and tried to reach out again.

“At that point, it’s not about me expecting a reply. It’s about me wanting to let him know. It’s something between me and him. I don’t expect a reply. I don’t think he would even want to (reply).”

Allen seems polite and genial in person, the polar opposite of the player many Bulls fans love to hate.

“I’d still say it’s not naturally comfortable for me,” he said of the attention. “But I am to the point now where anytime I’m out playing basketball I just remind myself to go out and have fun with it… It’s what I love to do.

“The ultimate joy for me is just out there playing, play free. Still though, my personality is naturally uncomfortable with the attention — the booing, the heckling. It’s not something like I feed off of. I’m not going out searching for it like, ‘Oh, I love this.’ I just go out and have fun.”

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Game 4 started out like a bad case of déjà vu for the Bulls. They missed 10 of their first 15 shots and fell behind by nine points late in the first quarter.

But they trailed by only one early in the second quarter when Allen hit his second 3. He then made his third steal on the next Bulls possession, leading to another 3 by Pat Connaughton. The Bucks were off and running again, outscoring the Bulls 31-19 in the quarter. The Bulls had only one offensive rebound and no free-throw attempts in the first half.

A finger roll by Antetokounmpo 2½ minutes into the third quarter gave the Bucks a commanding 22-point lead, but after Caruso was ruled out for the second half, the Bulls whittled the deficit down to eight with 61½ minutes remaining in the third. But the Bucks quickly regrouped, and when Allen sank his fifth 3 a little over a minute later, the lead was back up to 15, and never in doubt again.

The Bulls shot 38.9% from the field (35-for-90) and 25% (9-for-36) from on 3-pointers. The only fight they showed came with 2:16 remaining when guard Zach LaVine had words with former Bulls forward Bobby Portis after Portis put LaVine in a one-armed headlock after a foul.

But it was too late to get the crowd into it. Many had already headed for the exits.

If the Bulls don’t win Game 5 Wednesday at Fiserv Forum, Bulls fans will have to wait until next season to boo Allen again.

Or maybe they’ve finally learned their lesson.