The New York Knicks were firing on all cylinders Thursday night, beating the Sacramento Kings 140-121.
The Knicks broke their season high for points, three pointers made (19), and field goal percentage (59%).
Elfrid Payton was out of the lineup with a hamstring injury, giving Derrick Rose his first start in a Knicks uniform this season. He made his first six shots, finishing with 18 points and 6 assists.
ROOKIE SHOWCASE
The rookie Immanuel Quickley shined. In only 20 minutes, Quickley scored 25 points, was 12-12 from the free throw line, and made three three pointers. The crowd could be heard chanting “We want Quickley” at moments when he was on the bench.
Facing off against #11 overall pick and breakout star Tyrese Halliburton, Quickley continues to make his case as one of the best rookies in the league.
Halliburton finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Halliburton will haunt the 10 teams who passed on him in the draft — New York being one of them.
FAMILIAR FACE
22 year old Point Guard Frank Ntilikina played in his first game since September 29th. He finished with 7 points, 3 steals. The sight of Ntilikina was a delight for the 2,000 fans at Madison Square Garden.
Coach Tom Thiboedou chose Ntilikina over Austin Rivers to round out his 10 man rotation.
While the defensively oriented Ntilikina matched up well against Sacramento’s explosive backcourt, Rivers has become the subject of trade rumors in New York and has not played since February 13th.
HOT HAND
Alec Burks had the hot hand in the second half, finishing with a season high 24 points and five three pointers. In the third quarter, Burks sunk three straight threes for the Knicks, staving off a Sacramento comeback.
Julius Randle’s double doubles are routine, as he finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Kings Center Marvin Bagley III was helpless against Randle’s versatility.
This was Sacramento’s 9th loss in a row, falling to 12-20.
New York sits at 16-17, a half game behind the Indiana Pacers for 4th place in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks and the Pacers will face off Saturday night in Madison Square Garden.
NEXT GAME
Vs. Indiana Pacers, Saturday, February 27th at 5:00pm Pacific
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