The New York Knicks fell to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday evening 121-107. The Knicks were outmatched, plain and simple.
After starting the game with 66 points in the first half, they put together an awful performance in the second half, letting their defense run wild and missing shots at an inconceivable rate.
New head coach Tom Thibodeau surely isn’t content with his team’s performance, especially since he wants to harp on defense and aggression. Allowing 121 points is simply unacceptable, as Domantas Sabonis posted 32 points and Victor Oladipo finished with 22 points. The Knicks need to do a better job holding down specific players, but the Pacers were always far ahead of the Knicks, and it was unlikely they would pull out a win.
The bad news doesn’t end at the scoreboard, as rookie guard Immanuel Quickley only lasted 12 minutes before suffering an injury, which forced him out for the rest of the contest. The early expectations that he could miss multiple weeks, leaving the Knicks in a terrible position at point guard.
Utilizing a rotation of Elfrid Payton, Frank Ntilikina, and Alec Berks, there was no chance the Knicks were going to pull out of victory, with none of the three performing even adequately in the second half.
How long do the New York Knicks expect Quickley to be out?
“A hip pointer is basically a localized bruise to an area of the pelvic girdle, commonly the back of the hip. A lot of swelling can occur in a short amount of time, which can be very painful in the short term, and affects Quickley’s ability to perform basketball movements,†Dr. Eusebio told Alder Almo of Empire Sports Media.
“The good news is that this type is resolved by rest & strategic physical therapy. If Quickley can restore pain-free, comfortable hip movement, then he should be getting around on the floor again sooner rather than later. Barring further diagnostics, expect to see him back on the floor very soon (1-2 weeks),†added Eusebio, who has worked with NBA, MLB, NFL athletes, and Olympians.
Quickly was one of the bright spots during the preseason, but his absence will undoubtedly be felt in the coming days. The Knicks will have their home opener on Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers as they start the season with a tough stretch.
On the bright side, second-year guard RJ Barrett posted 26 points, shooting 11 of 15 from the field and connecting on all three three-pointers. He also earned five assists and eight rebounds, showing his offensive development. He was not very effective on defense, but that will be a work in progress as the season continues.