Immanuel Quickley offered a 12-minute tease during the Knicks season in Indiana, after which he left with a hip pointer.
A week and a half later, when the Knicks returned to Indiana, the rookie was finally back.
Quickley immediately made an impact and finished with nine points in 15 minutes when the Knicks beat the Pacers, 106-102, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
“Of course a little rusty, but overall very satisfied,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. ‘Good energy. You can see that he is smart with the offense, which is very important. ”
After impressing in the preseason and missing four games with the injury he sustained on Dec. 23 when he collided with Myles Turner, Quickley showed the ability to drive to the edge and make mistakes on the way, and done it three times in his first nine. minutes in the first half. The number 25 overall pick also dropped a three-pointer.
“He will get his rhythm quickly,” Thibodeau said. ‘He’s really talented and smart, and he’s an excellent worker. I like his attitude, I like his approach. He is going to be a very good player in this league for a long time to come. ”
Thibodeau took up his first technical offense as head coach of the Knicks in the third quarter, while making a mistake on Julius Randle.
“We’re just trying to win,” Thibodeau said. ‘We try to protect each other, it’s my job to make sure we get a fair share of the calls.
‘Whatever we have to do to win – I do not like to make technical mistakes and I certainly do not want anyone to make a mistake in the fourth quarter. So it’s hard to make up, but I usually do not have enough techniques. ‘
Austin Rivers, who played in his second game of the season after being sidelined with a groin injury, drove to the edge early in the second quarter for a bucket before falling and pinning his head in the store . He remained in subsequent possession, but after holding his neck during a lapse of time, he stayed in the game and finished with 15 points.
Veteran guard Alec Burks (sprained left ankle) missed his third consecutive game and is still daily, but “is making good progress,” Thibodeau said.
Although Quickley’s return helped the Knicks as a point guard, they were still briefly in position with Frank Ntilikina (sprained right knee) and Dennis Smith Jr. (confused left four-wheel drive) that was outside.
Rookie forward Obi Toppin (strained right calf) and Omari Spellman (sore right knee) also remained sidelined with injuries.