Did you know that this would be an elegant garden afternoon for the guards when Walt Frazier came out of the cold on Friday night in the arena with his full white fur coat he bought during the 1973 championship season.
“When it’s zero degrees, I like to take out the minks,” Frazier said. “The port as Al Capone.”
Hours later, the Knicks ’splendid rookie keeper Immanuel Quickley caused the heat again as he looks to continue Frazier’s legacy where so many others have failed before.
After RJ Barrett dominated the first half, Quickley threw a wave of punches to the Cavaliers, scoring 19 points in the final 12:40 of the game in the Knicks’ 102-81 victory.
With Portley pulling out of Portland, when the Kentucky product hit 21 points in the fourth quarter, it will once again stir social media to convince Tom Thibodeau to beat Elfrid Payton (two points).
The Knicks coach would have liked to talk more about keeping Cleveland at 81 points and a 34.5 percent shot, but he got another annoying question about Quickley’s exit, which he finished with 25.
“There’s always a thought with everything,” Thibodeau said. “Because someone doesn’t start, it’s not that important to me. It’s about having groups that play well together. And you can always end up with the guys who offer you the best chance to win the game ”.
As for Frazier, he said he’s impressed with a young charge that college scouts didn’t see as a one-time guard.
“He’s a good faith guard,” Frazier later told the MSG network broadcast.
Frazier had an emotional moment before retiring as his four-season teammate Harthorne Wingo, who died last weekend at the age of 73, was awarded in a mostly empty field.
Loudspeaker announcer Mike Walczewski called for a moment of silence for Wingo, calling him “the beloved team member of the 73rd championship and one of the most popular players in Knicks history.” nice for the crowd and circus shots on the court supported him as a favorite of garden fans. His name, his game and his smile will be remembered forever. “
There should have been old “Wing-Go” songs to keep up with the moment of silence, but this is the 2020-21 pandemic season without fans.
Quickley has yet to play in front of the Garden audience, but that will happen one day. The garden would have exploded when Quickley, after being knocked to the ground in his stomach after burying a 3-pointer, made a bathing move.
“I was just having fun, that’s all,” Quickley said.
Back from an eight-day western trip, the Knicks slowly walked out the door, as cold as Frazier before putting on their fur. The Knicks fell behind 14-3 after seven minutes. His new All-Star level striker, Julius Randle, didn’t look like the usual 6-foot-eight locomotive. He was a facilitator, not getting any points or making a shot until the middle of the second period.
“He set the tone with his theatrical creation,” Thibodeau said.
Then the Knicks started rolling. Barrett set off. 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 hoop and Cleveland guards Darius Garland and Collin Sexton were overtaken.
“He plays with a lot of balance, doing the right readings,” Thibodeau said of Barrett’s two-point 24-point outing during which he reached the free-throw line for seven attempts.
Barrett and Randle demoralized the Cavs with body punches before Quickley came in to kill: triples, shots, floats in the final 13 minutes.
The Cavaliers closed out 3 in the third quarter before the Knicks got up to take the night. Randle, who became more assertive, finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. In its season of devastation, it is considered a quiet night.
The chemistry between Randle and Barrett that was not evident in 2019-20 is shown in peaks.
“We played a year together and we learned the games,” Barrett said. “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 shot and a last second trey. The Knicks bench players were in the running for the lead.
To start the quarter, Quickley got a perfect selection from his rookie obbi Topi Toppin to score an open 3. Quickley drilled two more treys, scattered in a sweater and delivered an alley-oop pass for an encore.
In the end, Quickley deserved a white fur coat.