Mitchell how?
Nerlens Noel approached injured Knicks center Mitchell Robinson well. Immanuel Quickley made Kentucky’s fellow Wildcat John Walls even prouder, hitting his first six shots and hitting big three-pointers in the second half as the Rockets rallied.
Quickley finishes with a spectacular 22 points and carries seven of nine shots – four of six from 3. Julius Randle was Julius Randle.
Derrick Rose, who played in front of his former Knicks coach / current Rockets assistant Jeff Hornacek, played for a third consecutive game, adding another 16 points.
The Knicks played their flawless first half of the season in the first game without Robinson and ended with a stunning 121-99 turn over the Rockets at a Garden, which fans will enjoy within ten days.
The triumph ended a tremendous Valentine’s Day weekend with rugby beats from Washington and Houston bringing the Knicks to closer to .500 at 13-15 – seventh place in the conference. Basketball New York is starting to fall in love with the scrappy Knicks, especially Quickley.
It spoiled Wall’s first game in the Garden since December 3, 2018 when he was with the Wizards. Yes, it’s that long.
The newest member of the Rockets is delighted to be back and is delighted that another point guard from Kentucky is doing well. Wall enchanted himself with 26 points in the loss.
“He’s someone I respect,” Wall said before the game about Quickley. “I am just happy to have the opportunity. I’m glad he’s showing people that he’s more than just a shooter. This is a lot of what people thought. The way he manages the point guard position was good. It would be good to go against him. ”
Wall, who played in Kentucky in 2009-10, is still keeping a close eye on John Calipari’s program. And the longtime Wizard got the chance to know the Knicks’ newcomer, who hails from Baltimore and has played two seasons for Kentucky.
Even after Saturday’s loss, Wall made sure he encouraged Quickley even more.
“He told me I was having a good season, and he told me to keep working,” Quickley said. “And just stick to it. It’s a long season, but just keep getting better every day. ‘
Wall visited Kentucky during a rehab last season and won the Wildcats game against Florida. Quickley scored a career-high 26 points with Wall Watch and they made a video together. This time he scored 22 points.
“It was cool,” Quickley said after his big outing in the second half. “Our blue is blooming. He was part of my development. ” I give words of encouragement. Good to see him on the floor. ”
In fact, Quickley admitted to the Lexington Herald Leader that he was interested in the Wildcats because of Wall.
“It’s clear that everyone knows John Wall,” Quickley said in 2016. “He can come up and down in three, four dribbles. And he gets everyone involved. This is just one of the many point guards from John Calipari that I have watched. ”
Wall is very proud of Quickley.
“I’ve seen him play in Baltimore before,” Wall said before facing the Knicks. ‘I talked to him before he went to Kentucky. We did a little video together when I saw them play last year. ”
Quickley came off the bench in the first 28 games for the Knicks and his career took a new shock with the arrival of Rose. Social media outraged Rose, would adversely affect Quickley’s minutes. On the contrary.
Coach Tom Thibodeau made Rose and Quickley a backhand off the bench, and it was a looting.
‘I learn a lot of things [from him]”Quickley said.” “I do not want to give it away because I take very well through my career. So really just his energy. He’s a dog, an alpha dog, he’s a leader. It’s great to have someone like that in my corner. ‘
Saturday’s first two quarters were a masterpiece as the Knicks built up a 63-47 lead. They pressed whenever they wanted. They only achieved their first turnover up to 57 seconds left in the half, when Randle Noel tried to find and sent it out of bounds.
Randle was definitely looking for their new starting center, Noel, now that Robinson would be out for six weeks with a broken hand.
Robinson looked from the second row of the bench in a white shirt and a white plaster on his right hand – probably before an operation.
Wall, did not play last season and was cut short in his 2018-19 season by a heel injury in front of a torn Achilles. Quickley had a good mentor in Wall, and now the torch has been passed on to Rose.
“It’s his ability to get the best out of everyone around him,” Thibodeau said of Rose.
“They’re a team that plays hard,” Wall said. ‘You know how Thibs play [his teams]. Julius [Randle] plays well, and D-Rose is just there and we all know what he’s about. They are a good team that is on the rise. ‘
The Knicks proved it Saturday.