On Friday, Immanuel Quickley earned the start in the New York Knicks’ preseason finale and made the most of that opportunity after erupting for a team-high 22 points in the 119-83 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 25th overall pick got off to a quick start after scoring 11 points early as the Knicks sprinted out to a 41-18 lead at the end of the first quarter. New York eventually led by as many as 49 points in the contest to put an exclamation point on a strong preseason effort, finishing with a 3-1 record.
Quickley shot 7-of-12 from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, in nearly 29 minutes of work while he added five assists and five steals. After dishing out seven assists on Wednesday, he once again looked extremely comfortable running the offense and that showed throughout the game.
Quickley (15 PTS), Knox II (12 PTS, 4-5 3PM) and RJ (11 PTS) all in double figures at the half for the @nyknicks!#NBAPreseason on NBA LP pic.twitter.com/eTjeNMcrqi
— NBA (@NBA) December 19, 2020
Quickley made a strong case over his final two preseason games that he should be in the conversation to start for the Knicks this season. He gives the team instant energy on the court and that should be in consideration when head coach Tom Thibodeau settles on his starting lineup.
The Knicks will now have a few days off before the regular-season opener on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers but the team should certainly be impressed by what they saw from Quickley and the rest of the young guys on the roster.
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