Did you know that this would be an elegant night at the Garden for the shipowners when Walt Frazier came out of the cold of Friday night and entered the arena in his long white fur coat he bought during the 1973 championship season.
“When it’s zero degrees, I like to highlight the mink,” said Frazier. “I use it like Al Capone. ”
Hours later, the heat was brought up again by the Knicks’ splendid debutant Immanuel Quickley, as he seeks to continue Frazier’s legacy where so many others have failed before.
After RJ Barrett dominated the first half, Quickley delivered a flurry of knockouts to the Cavaliers, swimming up to 19 points at the end of the game, 12:40, in the Knicks’ 102-81 victory.
With Quickley taking a Portland, when the Kentucky product scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, it will again stir social media to persuade Tom Thibodeau to replace him with Elfrid Payton (two points).
The Knicks coach would love to talk more about holding Cleveland with 81 points and 34.5 percent of shots, but he received another uncomfortable question about how to start Quickley, which ended with 25.
“There is always a thought in everything,” said Thibodeau. “Because someone doesn’t start, it’s not that important to me. It is having groups that play well together. And you can always end up with the guys who give you the best chance of winning the game. “
As for Frazier, he said he was impressed by a young man in charge whom college scouts did not see as a point guard.
“He is a good faith shipowner,” said Frazier later in the broadcast of the MSG Network.
Frazier had an emotional moment before he was announced as his teammate for four seasons, Harthorne Wingo, who died last weekend at 73, was honored in an almost empty arena.
Public address announcer Mike Walczewski asked Wingo for a moment of silence, calling him “a beloved member of the 73-year-old champion team and one of the most popular players in the history of the Knicks. His unannounced public pleasantries and circus shots on the court supported him as a favorite of Garden fans. Your name, game and smile will always be remembered. ”
There should have been old “Wing-Go” songs to follow the moment of silence, but this is the 2020-21 pandemic season without fans.
Quickley hasn’t played for a crowd at the Garden yet, but it will happen one day. The Garden would have erupted when Quickley, after being knocked to the floor on his stomach after burying a 3-point bullet, took a dip.
“I was just having fun – that’s all,” said Quickley.
Back from an eight-day trip west, the Knicks were slow to get out of the gate, as cold as Frazier before putting on the fur. The Knicks fell back by 14-3 after seven minutes. His new All-Star striker, Julius Randle, did not look like the six-foot locomotive. He was a facilitator, failing to score or shoot until halfway through the second period.
“He set the tone with his game creation,” said Thibodeau.
Then the Knicks started rolling. Barrett started. It was Barrett’s show in the first half and Quickley’s show in the second half.
Barrett used his battering ram style to get to the rim and Cleveland guards, Darius Garland and Collin Sexton, were defeated.
“He plays with a lot of balance, doing the right readings,” said Thibodeau of Barrett’s 24-point, two-stolen move, during which he managed the free-throw line for seven attempts.
Barrett and Randle demoralized the Cavs with body blows before Quickley went on to kill – 3 points, pull-ups, floats in the final 13 minutes.
The Cavaliers closed down to less than 3 in the third quarter before Knicks rose to win the night. Randle, who became more assertive, finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. In its low season, this is considered a quiet night.
The chemistry between Randle and Barrett that was not evident in 2019-20 is showing up in spades.
“We played a year together and learned about each other’s games,” said Barrett. “The more experience you gain, the more you know their trends.”
After the Barrett-Randle dam, Quickley took over. He scored the third quarter with a drive slam and a last-second attempt. The players on the Knicks bench were beating their heads in celebration by taking a 72-55 lead after three.
To start the fourth, Quickley got a perfect choice from his obfuscated newbie Obi Toppin to drain an open 3. Quickley drilled two more trees, sprinkled on a pull-up jumper and gave an alley-oop pass for an encore.
In the end, Quickley deserved a white fur coat.