Mitchell who?
Nerlens Noel got a good run down the left wing, Mitchell Robinson broke through on the right. Immanuel Quickley made his Kentucky Wildcat teammate John Wall even more proud, hitting his first six shots and hitting three big points in the second half as the Rockets rallied.
Quickley finished with a spectacular 22 points, scoring seven of nine shots – four of six of 3. Julius Randle was Julius Randle.
Derrick Rose, who played before his former Knicks coach / current Rockets assistant Jeff Hornacek, was sprinting for a third straight game, adding another 16 points.
The Knicks played the most impeccable first half of the season in the first game without Robinson and ended with a wonderful 121-99 rout over Rockets at a Garden, which will have fans enjoying it in 10 days.
The triumph ended a great Valentine’s Day weekend with Washington-Houston’s back-to-back blasts that brought the Knicks close to .500 to 13-15 – seventh in the conference. New York basketball is starting to fall in love with the Knicks, especially Quickley.
He ruined Wall’s first game in the garden starting with December 3, 2018, when he was with the Wizards. Yes, it’s been so long.
The newest member of the Rockets is excited to be back and excited that another Kentucky guard is doing well. Wall was stunned with 26 points in the loss.
“He’s someone I respect,” Wall said of Quickley before the game. “I am just happy for him to have the opportunity. I’m glad he shows people he’s more than a shooter. That’s a lot of what people thought. The way he leads the guard was good. It will be good to go against him. “
Wall, who played in Kentucky in 2009-10, still keeps tight films on John Calipari’s program. And the wizard has long had the chance to meet Knicks’ rookie goalie, who comes from Baltimore and has played two seasons for Kentucky.
Even after Saturday’s loss, Wall made sure to encourage Quickley more.
“He told me I had a good season, he told me to keep working,” Quickley said. “And you stay with her. It’s a long season, but it keeps getting better every day. ”
Wall visited Kentucky last season during a rehab, capturing the Wildcats game against Florida. Quickley scored 26 points in his career watching Wall and made a video together. This time, he reached 22 points.
“It was great,” Quickley said after his big outing in the second half. “We are bleeding blue. He was part of my development. “Giving me encouraging words. I’m glad 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.
“Obviously, everyone knows John Wall,” Quickley said in 2016. “He can go up and down the field in three or four dribbles. And it involves everyone. This is just one of the many John Calipari goalkeepers I’ve been following. ”
Wall is proud of Quickley.
“I’ve seen him play in Baltimore before,” Wall said before facing the Knicks. “I talked to him before he left for Kentucky. We made a little video together when we watched them play last year. ”
Quickley left the bench for the Knicks in the first 28 games, and his career received another shock with the arrival of Rose. Rose’s worried social media would negatively affect Quickley’s minutes. On the contrary.
Coach Tom Thibodeau turned Rose and Quickley into a tandem on the bench and it was a blow.
“I learn a lot of things [from him]Quickley said. “I don’t want to give them away, because I’m going to take a lot of things throughout my career. So it’s really just his energy. He’s a dog, an alpha dog, he’s a leader. He’s wonderful. to have someone like that in my corner. ”
Saturday’s first two quarters were a masterpiece as the Knicks won 63-47. They scored whenever they wanted. They didn’t commit their first turnover until 57 seconds into the half, when Randle tried to find Noel and sent her out of bounds.
Randle was definitely looking for their new starting point, Noel, now that Robinson could be out for six weeks with a broken hand.
Robinson followed from the second row of the bench in a white shirt and a white throw on his right hand – probably facing surgery.
Wall did not play last season and his 2018-19 season was shortened by a heel injury before a torn Achilles. Quickley had an excellent mentor in Wall, and now the torch has been passed to Rose.
“It’s his ability to bring out the best in everyone around him,” Thibodeau said of Rose.
“I’m a team that plays hard,” Wall said as he entered the game. “You know how Thibs plays [his teams]. Julius [Randle] it’s playing well, and D-Rose just went there and we all know what it’s all about. I’m a good team on the rise. ”
The Knicks proved it on Saturday.