Adding injury to insult: Rockets lose game to lowly Raptors, Cam Whitmore to ankle sprain

The Rockets are now a woeful 5-19 on the road this season, and the loss of Cam Whitmore (right ankle sprain) added injury to insult in Toronto.

On the third stop of a four-game road trip, the turnover-prone Rockets (22 total) delivered one of their worst performances of the season in Friday’s 107-104 loss (box score) at Toronto. After trailing by as many as 22 points in the third quarter, Houston’s late comeback bid came up just short, just as it did in the previous game at Indiana.

The Raptors (19-33), led by 25 points from Immanuel Quickley, dealt Houston (23-29) its fourth straight road loss.

Cam Whitmore scored 17 points in just over 17 minutes, shooting 5-of-9 overall (55.6%) and 3-of-5 from 3-point range (60.0%). But fittingly, on a night where so many things went wrong for the Rockets, Whitmore left in the second half and couldn’t continue due to a right ankle sprain — which he suffered late in the first half during a controversial no-call sequence that didn’t go Houston’s way.

The Rockets did not immediately offer a timetable for Whitmore’s return, but his availability for Saturday’s game in Atlanta — which takes place less than 24 hours from the injury — is in doubt.

For better or for worse, other notable stat lines included:

  • Dillon Brooks: 20 points, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers in 30 minutes; 6-of-13 shooting (46.2%), 4-of-5 on 3-pointers (80.0%)
  • Jabari Smith Jr.: 12 points, 11 rebounds in 33 minutes; 5-of-11 shooting (45.5%), 2-of-6 on 3-pointers (33.3%)
  • Jalen Green: 7 points, 2 rebounds, 4 turnovers in 22 minutes; 3-of-11 shooting (27.3%), 1-of-5 on 3-pointers (20.0%)
  • Alperen Sengun: 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 turnovers in 21 minutes; 3-of-7 shooting (42.9%)
  • Amen Thompson: 8 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 turnovers in 31 minutes; 4-of-5 shooting (80.0%)
  • Aaron Holiday: 12 points, 5 assists in 30 minutes; 5-of-13 shooting (38.5%), 2-of-8 on 3-pointers (25.0%)
  • Jeff Green: 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists in 27 minutes; 3-of-11 shooting (27.3%), 1-of-6 on 3-pointers (16.7%), 4-of-5 on free throws (80.0%)

Neither Jalen Green nor Sengun were part of Houston’s closing lineup. Sengun struggled to handle Raptors big man Jakob Poeltl, who had with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 blocked shots while shooting 7-of-11 from the field (63.6%). It was a dramatic reversal from when Sengun had his way inside during last week’s meeting.

Houston routed Toronto in that Feb. 2 game, but that was at home, where the Rockets are 18-9 this season. They are a staggering 5-19 on the road, and that discrepancy is a big part of why they’ve fallen to No. 12 in the Western Conference standings, with a potential run to the play-in tournament becoming increasingly unlikely.

Another factor in their recent regression is injuries. Fred VanVleet (left adductor strain) and Tari Eason (left lower leg injury management) both remained sidelined, although there is hope that each could return within the next few days. The Rockets are now 0-5 in the 2023-24 season without VanVleet and 11-18 without Eason.

Here’s our look at Friday’s highlights and postgame interviews from Toronto, along with reaction by media members and fans. As the road trip finally concludes, next up for Houston is Saturday’s game at Atlanta (22-29), where tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Central.

Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey speaks on Immanuel Quickley being traded to Raptors

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey gives thoughts on Immanuel Quickley being traded to the Toronto Raptors.

The first domino of trade season fell when the New York Knicks acquired OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors in a deal that sent RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto. The Knicks are now in a position to challenge the contenders in a tough Eastern Conference.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey was a teammate of Quickley’s while they were at Kentucky, and both were drafted in 2020. The two of them have always been close. While Maxey was unable to battle against Quickley in Philadelphia’s matchup with the Knicks on Jan. 5, he is happy for his friend’s opportunity with the Raptors.

Maxey told Stefan Bondy of The New York Post:

“He did a good job with the Knicks. But we know that’s Julius’ team, that’s Brunson’s team,” Maxey told The Post before his team’s 128-92 loss to the visiting Knicks on Friday night. “This gives him opportunities to spread his wings, kind of fly a little bit. I think he’s done a great job so far.”

In four games in Toronto, Quickley is averaging 17.3 points, 6.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 41.4% from deep. He has taken on more responsibility with the Raptors and he has played well thus far.

Maxey and the Sixers will face Quickley and the new-look Raptors on March 31 in Toronto.

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Why OG Anunoby already looks like a ‘perfect’ fit with the Knicks even after just 1 game

OG Anunoby is exactly what the Knicks needed.

The Knicks and Raptors shook up the Eastern Conference as OG Anunoby was sent to New York in exchange for Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.

Anunoby made his debut for the Knicks on Monday during a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, one of the strongest teams in the West. Although it was his first game, he finished with 17 points (7-of-12 from the field, 3-of-6 on 3-pointers) while adding six rebounds and two steals.

After the game, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson called his new teammate a “perfect” fit for this New York roster. While it was a small sample size, it provided insight into the role Anunoby will play for his new team.

On the offensive side of the ball, Anunoby was mostly used as a catch-and-shoot floor spacer who used off-ball screens and someone who finished cuts at the basket. But it was on the defensive side of the floor where he mostly proved his value.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch summarized it well: Anunoby can defend star guard Stephen Curry during one game and star big man Joel Embiid the following match and have similar success against both.

During his first game in New York, for example, Anunoby exemplified that perfectly. The wing defended Anthony Edwards for 32.9 partial possessions and switched on to Karl-Anthony Towns for 10.5 partial possessions.

Edwards scored 8 points when he was defended by Anunoby on Monday. For comparison, Edwards scored 9 points on 20.4 partial possessions guarded by Josh Hart and 11 points on 7.6 partial possessions defended by Julius Randle.

Anunoby held Edwards to 24.3 points per 100 possessions during this game, which is significantly better than what the Minnesota star is averaging (36.9) this season. It was hard to ignore his defensive presence whenever he was on the court.

It was a significant upgrade for New York to have Anunoby for this matchup.

When the Knicks faced the Timberwolves earlier this season, Quentin Grimes drew the assignment against Edwards. Grimes’ defensive matchup difficulty has ranked in the 99th percentile or higher both this season and last, per BBall-Index.

Now, he won’t have to do that as Anunoby will take on such tasks. Even when it’s not Edwards, like Grimes did, we already know that Anunoby will step up to guard the best player on the opposing team.

Both this season and last, Anunoby has also ranked in the 98th percentile or better in defensive matchup difficulty. But his overall defensive impact is far higher than what we have seen from Grimes.

(via DARKO)

For example, per DARKO, Anunoby grades out far better than Grimes in the defensive catch-all metric D-DPM.

Last season, via dunksandthrees.com, Anunoby had the highest overall D-EPM (Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus) among those who played at least 26 minutes per game. He also led the league in steals and he earned NBA All-Defense Second Team.

While he isn’t having the same type of impact this season, he still has one of the most unique intersections of defensive positional versatility and matchup difficulty.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau had concerns about playing two smaller guards and he didn’t want to play Brunson and Quickley in the backcourt at the same time.

Anunoby, at 6-foot-8 with a massive 7-foot-2 wingspan, addresses those problems and will provide the length and versatility desired on the perimeter. His presence is a relief to Grimes and his offensive usage rate is low enough that he won’t take the ball away from Brunson, who is the most capable floor general and engine for New York.

This trade already looks like a win for the Knicks, who will eventually need to agree to terms on a long-term contract with the former NBA champion.

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Immanuel Quickley appeared to learn about the Knicks trading him to Toronto on Twitter

Always have Woj alerts turned on

The New York Knicks made quite the splash on Saturday morning, acquiring small forward and defensive specialist OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors for two players and a draft pick.

It may seem strange the two division rivals were so quick to make a deal, but it works out well for both sides as the Raptors get to retool on the fly while the Knicks continue to make a playoff push.

Heading back to Canada is Toronto native RJ Barrett along with Immanuel Quickley — the latter of whom appeared to learn about the deal the same way the rest of us did: from an Adrian Wojnarowski post on X/Twitter.

Shortly after Woj broke the news, Knicks players began posting as if this were all brand new information they were hearing for the first time.

It’s tough to find out this is how your team is moving you, but it’s unfortunately commonplace these days. The newsbreakers move too quickly in this league.

OG Anunoby, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley trade grades: Who won the Knicks – Raptors deal?

An inter-division trade is sending a two-way star back to the New York Knicks

The New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors are shaking things up with an inter-division trade on Saturday morning.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Raptors are sending OG Anunoby to New York for a package including Immanuel Quickley and Toronto-native RJ Barrett.

It’s not a surprise to see the Raptors move major pieces and attempt to retool at this point in the year. Toronto is 12-19, last in the Atlantic Division and already falling behind in the race for the postseason play-in games. The Knicks, meanwhile, get another star player on an expiring contract to pair with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.

So who won the trade? Let’s break it down.

Tom Thibodeau needs to play Immanuel Quickley over RJ Barrett for the Knicks to actually win

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau seems to insist on playing former No. 3 pick RJ Barrett over 24-year-old guard Immanuel Quickley.

The Knicks have found their point guard of the future in Jalen Brunson but still need to work out the pieces around him before they can contend.

Perhaps the biggest concern right now is that head coach Tom Thibodeau insists on playing RJ Barrett over 24-year-old guard Immanuel Quickley. Even though Barrett was selected third overall in the 2019 NBA Draft and has shown flashes of potential, it is Quickley who has contributed more to winning for New York.

This was exemplified when the Knicks lost to the Thunder, 129-120, on Wednesday. Barrett finished with 14 points (5-of-14 from the field, 1-of-7 on 3-pointers) in 29 minutes while Quickley (7-of-10 FG, 4-of-5 3P) was a lot more efficient and productive with only 24 minutes played.

Yet despite his strong play, he was benched down the final stretch.

Already playing a small player at the point with Brunson, it seems that Thibodeau favors the size that Barrett brings to the position.

Yet despite concerns about playing two undersized guards as a starting backcourt with Brunson and Quickley, the data offers a convincing and strong counterargument.

Here is more explanation in this story from Fred Katz (via The Athletic):

“Thibodeau has shied away from specificities whenever asked about Quickley’s minutes, instead reiterating more generally his points about sacrifice. But he looks at the lineup data. He has said various times that point differential per possession is the ‘most important’ statistic.”

In that case, what do the numbers tell us? It is worth noting that the best lineups for the Knicks feature Quickley playing alongside Brunson, Julius Randle, Josh Hart and either Mitchell Robinson or Isaiah Hartenstein.

New York has outscored opponents by 7.1 points per 100 possessions during the 447 minutes that Quickley has appeared without Barrett so far this year. Meanwhile, per PBPStats, the Knicks are getting outscored by 4.2 points per 100 in the 484 minutes when Barrett has appeared without Quickley.

Dating back to the 2020-21 campaign, including the playoffs, the contrast is even more striking. New York has a net rating of plus-10.4 with Quickley but no Barrett and a net rating of minus-4.3 with Barrett but no Quickley.

(via dunksandthrees.com)

While it is important to have as much height and length as possible on the court, the advanced analytics also suggest that Quickley is a more impactful player than Barrett.

We pulled visualization to compare and contrast how the two players have fared in two of the most trusted advanced analytics, Estimated Plus-Minus and Daily Plus-Minus.

Both suggest that since the start of his professional career, Quickley has maintained the edge by a fairly wide margin.

(via DARKO)

This isn’t necessarily an indictment on Barrett, who is one of the highest-paid players on the Knicks and is signed to a four-year deal worth $107 million.

Instead, playing more with the second unit could potentially benefit Barrett.

Per 100 possessions, he has scored an additional 3.6 points and 1.3 assists during minutes he has not played with Brunson relative to when they have played together. His usage rate has also spiked from 24.9 percent to 30.0 percent during these minutes, per PBPStats.

A change of his role would give him more opportunities to lead New York’s offense rather than playing more off-ball. Barrett has struggled on spot-up possessions and when his shot is contested, his catch-and-shoot jumper isn’t falling.

Quickley, who was the runner-up for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year last season, does well in the second unit. But if the Knicks are going to make a serious run in the Eastern Conference, he should play in the starting lineup instead of Barrett.

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7 targets (Fred VanVleet!) who can replace Chris Paul as the Suns look for their new point guard

Here is why some of these options do (and do not!) make sense.

The uncomfortable truth: Chris Paul may be over as a serviceable guard who can provide positive value on the court for a contender.

After he was traded to the Phoenix Suns, Paul helped turn the organization into one of the best teams in the league. But he is averaging a career-low 13.9 points per game and he has struggled to stay healthy enough to remain on the floor for prolonged periods.

As such, according to league insider Marc Stein, the “word is” that this has caused the Suns to “start assessing” what their future looks like once he is no longer their point guard.

With that in mind, here are seven of the potential trade targets that Phoenix may pursue at the deadline as they consider long-term replacements for CP3.

Immanuel Quickley joined NBA history with his outrageous performance in Monday’s Knicks win

New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley made HISTORY on Monday night.

New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley had one of the best games that the franchise has ever seen on Monday night.

During the team’s 137-115 home win over the Houston Rockets, Quickley became the Knicks’ first player since Nate Robinson in 2010 to score 40 points, record five-plus assists and shoot for 75 percent during the game, per ESPN.

He’s only the fifth New York player to accomplish this feat.

Quickley also joined NBA history in an elite group of players to have such a night (40-plus points, nine-plus assists, more than 77-percent shooting). His name will now be listed alongside basketball legends like Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

The Knicks are a definite factor in the Eastern Conference, and Quickley’s incredible evening only boosts the team’s 2023 playoff momentum.

After the game, Quickley talked about how nervous he was to knock down the two free throws that gave him his first 40-point game.

You can tell how excited he was to have such a historic night at Madison Square Garden in front of the home crowd.

The crowd clearly appreciated Quickley’s performance and gave him “MVP” chants toward the end of the game. He also got plenty of love from the Knicks bench.

Talk about a historic night for one of New York’s best players.

Immanuel Quickley outduels Kevin Porter Jr. as Knicks blast weary Rockets

Kevin Porter Jr. bounced back from an off night with 26 points on strong efficiency, but it wasn’t nearly enough on a career game by New York’s Immanuel Quickley. #Rockets

On the second night of a road back-to-back, the weary Rockets were no match for the rested Knicks in Monday’s 137-115 loss (box score) at Madison Square Garden. New York (43-33), which hadn’t played in four days, remains on course for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, while Houston (18-58) is still last place in the West.

With the loss, Houston clinched one of the NBA’s three worst records of the 2022-23 season, which guarantees maximum odds of securing one of the top-four draft picks determined by the 2023 lottery.

Third-year guard Immanuel Quickley set a career-high with 40 points on elite efficiency, making 14-of-17 shots (82.4%) and 5-of-7 on 3-pointers (71.4%). Quickley also dished a team-high 9 assists for the Knicks. Veteran forward Julius Randle added 26 points on 10-of-19 shooting (52.6%), including 3-of-8 on 3-pointers (37.5%).

Kevin Porter Jr. bounced back from an off night Sunday with a team-high 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting (57.1%) and 3-of-6 from 3-point range (50%), but Porter and the rest of Houston’s backcourt struggled defensively to contain Quickley. Other double-figure scorers were:

  • Jalen Green: 19 points, 4 assists; 4-of-11 shooting (36.4%), 1-of-5 on 3-pointers (20.0%), 10-of-12 on free throws (83.3%)
  • KJ Martin: 18 points, 6 rebounds; 7-of-11 shooting (63.6%), 1-of-3 on 3-pointers (33.3%)
  • Jabari Smith Jr.: 14 points, 11 rebounds, career-high 6 assists; 6-of-13 shooting (46.2%)
  • Alperen Sengun: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 turnovers; 5-of-9 shooting (55.6%), 1-of-1 on 3-pointers
  • Tari Eason: 13 points, 8 rebounds; 5-of-11 shooting (45.5%)
  • Josh Christopher: 12 points, 6-of-10 shooting (60.0%)

The Rockets were competitive until late in the third quarter, but the game spiraled quickly once the second unit came in. Tired legs may have also been a factor.

Scroll on for highlights, postgame interviews and reaction by Houston fans and media members. The Rockets will conclude their five-game road trip with Wednesday night’s visit to Brooklyn. The tip is again scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Central.

Julius Randle yelled at teammate Immanuel Quickley, who was just helping him avoid a technical

New York Knicks forward Julius Randle is an All-Star, but his frustrations on the court are becoming an issue.

New York Knicks forward Julius Randle is an All-Star, but his frustrations on the court are becoming an issue.

During New York’s game against the Magic on Thursday, the 2021 NBA Most Improved Player argued with referee Leon Wood. The longtime official is a former first-round pick and he is one of just three former NBA players to become an NBA referee.

While the forward argued with Wood, his teammate Immanuel Quickley tried de-escalating the situation. But unfortunately, Randle remained heated with the situation and eventually, the two had to get separated before the problem became even bigger:

Randle, who was mocked by Jimmy Butler during New York’s loss against Miami on Wednesday, was eventually called for a technical foul for arguing with Wood.

This was the third consecutive game that he was called for a technical. But the brief scuffle with Quickley, the favorite to win the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, was especially concerning.

Hopefully, the two players were able to settle the turmoil during the halftime break — especially considering Quickley was clearly just attempting to help his teammate avoid getting into trouble with the officials.

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