New York Knicks sixth man Immanuel Quickley was elevated to the starting lineup on Tuesday against the Dallas Mavericks after Jalen Brunson was ruled out with a hip injury, and Quickley continued his best stretch of basketball in his career with his performance on Tuesday.
Quickley had 13 points, 15 assists (11 in the first half), and only one turnover in 51 minutes of action despite the Knicks losing in overtime 126-121.
Despite shooting just 5-21 from the field and 1-10 from 3, Quickley’s 15 assists were a game-high, and after demonstrating his shooting skills for the past few games, this time, he showcased his elite playmaking skills on Tuesday.
Quickley was one of three Knicks players to record a double-double on Tuesday, with Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson being the other two. This latest performance from Quickley continues what has been an impressive run of games for the third-year guard out of Kentucky.
- Knicks: Mitchell Robinson’s status for Game 4 in jeopardy after suffering ankle injury
- Studs and Duds: Knicks hold a 2-1 series lead following Philadelphia win in Game 3
- Knicks’ Isaiah Hartenstein could be in for a lucrative deal in free agency
Knicks’ Immanuel Quickley is playing the best basketball of his career:
Over his last five games, Quickley is averaging 16.2 PPG and 4.4 APG and is shooting 48.3% from the field and 42.9% from 3. He has demonstrated a deep offensive skillset that includes great playmaking and lights-out shooting, making him a much more impactful player on the offensive end, the side of the ball that has brought him some misfortunes this season.
With his elite defensive skills already coming to fruition – owning a 112.7 defensive rating this season (17th best among guards) – Quickley is quickly (pun intended) developing into an elite two-way option off the bench, which is extremely beneficial to a Knicks team that has been slipping of late, having lost four consecutive games after winning eight straight.
Quickley will look to continue his hot streak as the Knicks will look to snap their cold streak when they take on the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. There is a possibility that Quickley will move back to the bench on Thursday, depending on the availability of Jalen Brunson.
Follow this writer on Twitter: @DylanBacker_