Immanuel Quickley makes it hard to deny his Knicks potential

You knew it would be a fancy Garden Party for the pointers when Walt Frazier stepped out of the Friday night chill, in the arena in his long white fur coat he had purchased in the 1973 championship season.

“When it’s zero degrees, I like to bring out the mink,” Frazier said. “I wear it like Al Capone. ”

Hours later, splendid Knicks rookie point guard Immanuel Quickley again brought the heat as he seeks to carry on Frazier’s legacy where so many have failed.

After RJ Barrett dominated the first half, Quickley delivered a flurry of knockouts for the Cavaliers, swimming his way to 19 points in the game’s final at 12:40 p.m. in the Knicks’ 102-81 triumph.

With Quickley shooting a Portland, when the Kentucky product scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, it will again spur social media into convincing Tom Thibodeau to pass him past Elfrid Payton (two points).

The Knicks coach would have liked to talk more about Cleveland’s holding at 81 points and 34.5% shots, but received another nagging question about leaving Quickley, who finished with 25.

“There is always a thought with everything,” said Thibodeau. “Because somebody doesn’t start, it’s not that important to me. It’s having bands that play well together. And you can always end up with the guys who give you the best chance of winning the game. “

As for Frazier, he said he was impressed by a young charge that college scouts did not consider a leader.

“He’s a bona fide playmaker,” Frazier said later on the MSG Network telecast.

Frazier had an emotional moment ahead of the reveal as his four-season teammate Harthorne Wingo, who died last weekend at 73, was honored in a nearly empty arena.

Public speech announcer Mike Walczewski called for a moment of silence for Wingo, calling him “the beloved member of the 1973 Championship team and one of the most popular players in Canadian history. Knicks. His unannounced crowd-pleasing actions and circus stunts on the court have endured him as a Garden fan favorite. His name, his game and his smile will be forever remembered. ”

There should have been some old “Wing-Go” chants to follow the moment of silence, but it’s the 2020-21 pandemic season with no fans.

Quickley has yet to perform in front of a Garden crowd, but it will happen one day. The garden is said to have erupted when Quickley, after being punched on the ground on the stomach after burying a 3 point, swam.

“I was just having fun – that’s it,” Quickley said.

Returning from an eight-day trip out west, the Knicks were slow to come out of the gate, as cold as Frazier before he put on his fur. The Knicks fell 14-3 behind after seven minutes. Their new All-Star level forward Julius Randle didn’t look like the usual 6-foot-8 locomotive. He was a facilitator, failing to score a point or shoot until the middle of the second period.

“He set the tone with his way of playing,” said Thibodeau.

Then the Knicks rolled around. Barrett is gone. It was Barrett’s show in the first half and Quickley’s show in the second half.

Barrett used his ram style to get to the hoop and Cleveland guards Darius Garland and Collin Sexton were overpowered.

“He’s playing with a lot of poise, doing the right readings,” Thibodeau said of Barrett’s 24-point exit and two steals during which he went to the free throw line for seven tries. .

Barrett and Randle demoralized the Cavs with body shots before Quickley launched into the kill – 3 runs, pull-ups, floats in the final 13 minutes.

The Cavaliers closed to within 3 in the third quarter before the Knicks rose to take the night. Randle, who was more assertive, finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. In its bust-out season, this is considered a quiet night.

The chemistry between Randle and Barrett that was not evident in 2019-2020 is showing in spades.

“We played a year together and learned each other’s games,” said Barrett. “The more experience you get, the more you know about their trends.”

After the Barrett-Randle Dam, Quickley took over. He punctuated the third quarter with a slam at the wheel and a last second trey. The Knicks bench hit each other in celebration as they carried a 72-55 lead after three.

To start the fourth, Quickley got a perfect pick from his eclipsed rookie Obi Toppin to drain an open 3.

In the end, Quickley deserved a white fur coat.