Immanuel Quickley is so sure in his shot that he was oblivious to the fact that he was struggling.
So on Tuesday night, when the ball found him, the reserve guard did not hesitate and ended his current shooting slump.
In the Knicks’ 132-94 blowout of the Warriors at Madison Square Garden, Quickley made a season-high five 3-pointers on six attempts and scored 22 points.
“It’s always satisfying to watch a shot go in,” he remarked after the Knicks’ eighth consecutive victory. “I’m expected to make most of the shots I take. When they miss, the shooter’s mentality is to take the next shot.”
Quickley entered the game having made only nine of his previous thirty-seven 3-point tries and shooting 28.3 percent from the field in his previous six contests. But he did not view this as a breakthrough game.
I believe it to be typical, he stated. “I do not believe that is a breakthrough game. It’s a different game.”
Immanuel Quickley, who scored 22 points during the Knicks’ 132-94 rout of the Warriors, makes a leap pass.
Quentin Grimes seemed to injure his right ankle after landing on Warriors player Ty Jerome while trying a 3-pointer near the end of the first half. Grimes remained on the court to shoot free throws and began the second half. Jerome received a Flagrant 1 foul for failing to provide Grimes with a landing area.
“He sort of got under me, and I fell on his ankle,” recalled Grimes. “I sort of modified it little. I’m all good.”
Grimes expects to be able to play against the Raptors on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.
Quentin Grimes writhes in agony after injuring his right ankle during the first half, but he was able to return for the Knicks’ lopsided victory.
Tom Thibodeau was optimistic earlier in the season that the Knicks’ 3-point shooting would place them in the center of the pack. During this eight-game win streak, they are inching closer to their goal.
Once ranked dead last in the league in 3-point shooting, the Knicks are currently ranked 25th at 33.2 percent. They have risen marginally due to a recent increase. In their previous eight games, they had the 10th-best 3-point shooting percentage in the NBA, with 37.1%.
Tuesday, the Knicks made 17 of 40 3-point attempts. Jalen Brunson and Grimes have shot exceptionally effectively from deep during this stretch, with respective percentages of 48.6 and 45.7%.
The Knicks observed a moment of remembrance for former player and Seton Hall college coach Louis Orr, who died last Thursday at the age of 64 following a battle with pancreatic disease.
Thibodeau stated that there is no timetable for the return of injured forward Obi Toppin (right fibula), but he has begun rehabilitation in the water.
Tuesday night, the Warriors were substantially understaffed. They were missing Stephen Curry (left shoulder subluxation), Andrew Wiggins (right adductor strain), Donte DiVincenzo (sickness not related to COVID-19), and JaMychal Green (COVID-19 health & safety protocols).
In 32 minutes, Grimes produced a plus-33 rating, which was by far the greatest of the game for any player on either team.
»Immanuel Quickley of the Knicks breaks out of a recent shooting slump«