Nets guard Kyrie Irving gave the boy a lesson in the second half, putting a series of fakes and spinning moves on Knicks rookie Immanuel Quickley.
Irving finally turned away from Quickley to an indisputable finger scroll tray.
In his first NBA career start, in Monday’s loss to the Nets, Quickley had a learning experience, but was not surprised by the national television spotlight.
“It was definitely intensity throughout the game, going against Kyrie, James Harden, ” Quickley said. “They are gifted offensively. It was really cool to start against them and it will help me in the future. ”
Regarding that sequence in which Irving faked him out of his white Knicks shorts, Quickley said: “He is a great player who will make moves, but I have this growth mindset that will help me in the future. ”
Quickley scored 21 points, but hit only 4 out of 12 in the 3-point range.
With the Knicks wiped out at the point guard by losing their two best players in Elfrid Payton (hamstring) and Derrick Rose (COVID-19 protocols), coach Tom Thibodeau started Quickley over Frank Ntilikina, who served as Quickley’s reserve and failed in 16 minutes .
Ntilikina went scoreless for the third straight game, going 0 to 5 and 0 to 4 in 3s. But Thibodeau credited Ntilikina’s defense in the fourth period for helping the Knicks recover.
Quickley led the attack to an early 18-11 lead after hitting a difficult baseline floater over Jeff Green. When Ntilikina came in for Quickly, everything fell apart. The Nets embarked on a 14-2 run and a second unit that suddenly lacked Quickley was toasted.
The Knicks’ radio team, Ed Cohen and Brendan Brown, were put aside indefinitely because the pair are on health and safety protocols, the Post found.
Cohen and Brown have been the radio team, heard locally on ESPN Radio, for the past three seasons. Brown, son of Hubie Brown and a former Memphis assistant, has been a radio analyst for the Knicks intermittently since 2008. Cohen and Brown, in their fourth season together, have not traveled with the team during the pandemic season, but call home Garden games.
John Giannone and John Wallace will replace the radio broadcast team until further notice.
Austin Rivers, who was banned from the rotation before going on paternity leave, is unlikely to return to face his father Doc’s team, the Sixers, on Tuesday. Thibodeau indicated that Rivers’ bride is still pregnant. The Knicks said he was out for “personal reasons”.
“It is difficult to say just because with fatherhood, when he has the baby and is ready to return, he will return,” said Thibodeau. “We are giving him all the time he needs. ”
Mitchell Robinson (hand surgery) was first seen by the media on Monday filming without a cast. He’s been gone for five weeks.
“He is making progress,” said Thibodeau. “So there is a progression for that. He’s really doing well. HE still has to go through contact in practice and that kind of thing. But I hope it will be soon. ”