New York Knicks Sixth Man of The Year candidate Immanuel Quickley continued to wow Knicks fans Tuesday night in their 123-107 comeback victory over the Portland Trail Blazers and showcased the team’s depth as they await the return of Jalen Brunson.
Quickley had a team-high 26 points on 8-13 shooting from the field (4-8 from three), snagged 10 rebounds, dished three assists, and recorded one steal in the road win. His contributions helped the Knicks overcome an early 16-point deficit to swing the game in their favor.
It was Quickley’s second 20-point game in his last three games and also the second time he recorded 10 rebounds in that span as well.
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Knicks’ Immanuel Quickley helped lead the charge:
After an extremely rocky first half in which the Knicks shot just 35.7% from the field and scored just 49 points, and trailed by six, they looked like a completely different team in the second half, thanks in large part to Quickley.
Quickley scored 17 of his 26 points in the second half on Tuesday, a mark that led all Knicks scorers. He shot 5-7 from the field and 3-5 from downtown in the half after making just 1-3 from long distance in the opening half and was a plus-16 in the second half.
Quickley remained fierce on both ends of the floor, looking to take shots and create offense for the Knicks, who did not have Jalen Brunson for the fourth time in five games. He also was a force defensively, flying in for rebounds and playing great perimeter defense.
In the five games Brunson has missed, Quickley is averaging 16/5/4 and shooting 39.4% from the field, but the main reason it is that low is because of one really bad and forgettable game against the Kings last week where he shot just 1-11 from the field.
He has really elevated his game to the next level, and it could not have come at a more perfect time for a Knicks team that currently sits fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with just 11 games remaining.
Quickley will look to continue his stellar play when the Knicks head back home to take on the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
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