[ad_1]
Imagine if the Knicks weren’t at a complete disadvantage in Sunday’s game against the Blazers, a fresh team due to the unpredictability of COVID-19.
The Knicks were 25 points behind early in the third quarter before the young legs of rookie Immanuel Quickley brought the Knicks back to less than three points in the final minute.
The Knicks couldn’t complete the comeback, but Quickley’s career record with 31 points made that 116-113 loss to Portland easier to swallow – especially under the circumstances.
Quickley’s 21-point fourth quarter and his incredible talent for drawing fouls on the 3-point line even made Portland superstar Damian Lillard gush – seemingly upset by his quibbling.
Quickley said Lillard complained to him that it should have been a two-stroke foul.
“It was a bit of a back and forth,” Quickley said. “He’s one of my favorite players. Being able to converse with him back and forth is pretty cool. ”
The night started with Lillard, who finished with 39 points, but ended with Quickley, even in a loss.
“It’s awesome. Again,” said Tom Thibodeau. “I think the shoot is a huge asset to our team. It’s something we need. He gets better with every outing, puts pressure on people ”
Not giving the Knicks a full pass for their horrific first half that ultimately cost them the game, but the first two quarterbacks against the Blazers rested on Sunday night was a little more understandable given what COVID-19 had produced.
“A big hole,” said Thibodeau. “We spent so much energy trying to get out of this and in the end we failed. ”
There comes a time when you wonder about the fairness and legitimacy of the ever-changing COVID-19 timeline.
The Blazers were in practice for a week after canceling both games against Memphis because the Grizzlies were in protocols.
A week off to prepare for the Knicks, who took to the court for their third game in four nights in the Pacific time zone.
“Also this year with COVID, the calendar is against you and sometimes it’s for you,” Thibodeau said. “It usually balances out over the year. We want to have the mental strength to go through whatever we are faced with. This was the situation they had been in for a long time. You manage what is in front of you. We know we have to bring more to a game to win. ”
Initially, the Knicks looked western weary, half-hearted, dispassionate, very different from the Thibodeau club who started the journey with a victory at Golden State on Thursday.
The Blazers? They looked like lions released from cages with top predator Lillard, who hit his first eight shots and tallied 25 points early in the third quarter.
“I would like to think we would have new legs, but you never know,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said before the game. “We rested. Anytime you are given several days without a game to work in the field and at the same time rest, it is very valuable. ”
With Alec Burks hitting five 3-pointers and Quickley doing it all, the Knicks roared. Quickley drew two three-stroke fouls on 3-point attempts at the end of the fourth quarter.
They did it basically without RJ Barrett, who has an engine that never stops. But he only took one hit in the first two quarters. That’s not what Barrett has been lately, averaging 21 points in the previous six outings. Thibodeau benched him in the fourth quarter and he finished with eight points.
The Knicks, who had been the best defensive team in the league, gave the Blazers 70 points in the first half as they fell 20 points behind. The Knicks looked mentally and physically exhausted during that 70-50 half.
Quickley admitted that Portland’s week off may have helped.
“You can see the way they were pushing the ball,” Quickley said. “This is how the NBA is now. ”
The Knicks’ discomfort from the Sacramento game spilled over to the Pacific Northwest. Thibodeau admitted ahead of the game that he saw signs of “fatigue” with players who “didn’t finish their cuts or maintain spacing.”
“But I liked the fight,” said Thibodeau.
And the coach loved the late Portland fight again, even in a second straight loss that dropped the Knicks to 8-10.
When the four-game trip ends in Utah on Tuesday, the Knicks will have played 12 of their first 19 road games. Thibodeau said it pays to bond.
But for now, the Knicks are hanging on with a rookie leading the way.
[ad_2]
Source link