Imagine if the Knicks weren’t at a complete disadvantage entering Sunday’s contest against the Blazers, a team fresh because of the COVID-19 unpredictability.
The Knicks fell behind by 25 points early in the third quarter before the young legs of rookie Immanuel Quickley brought the Knicks back within three points in the final minute.
The Knicks couldn’t complete the comeback but Quickley’s career-high 31 points made this 116-113 defeat in Portland easier to swallow — especially under the circumstances.
Quickley’s 21-point fourth quarter and his uncanny knack of drawing fouls from the 3-point line even had Portland superstar Damian Lillard yapping at him — seemingly upset at his chicanery.
Quickley said Lillard complained to him that it should have been a two-shot foul.
“It was a little back and forth,’’ Quickley said. “He’s one of my favorite players. To be able to conversate with him back and forth, it’s pretty cool.’’
The night started with Lillard, who finished with 39 points, but ended with Quickley, even in a loss.
“It’s impressive. Again,’’ Tom Thibodeau said. “I think that shotmaking is a huge asset for our team. That’s something that we need. He gets better with each outing, puts pressure on people”
Not to give the Knicks a complete pass for their horrid first half that ultimately cost them the game, but the first two quarters against the rested Blazers Sunday night were a little more understandable considering what COVID-19 had wrought.
“Quite a big hole,’’ Thibodeau said. “We expended so much energy trying to get out of it and at the end we fell short.’’
There comes a time when you wonder the fairness and legitimacy regarding the ever-changing COVID-19 schedule.
The Blazers were in training for a week after they had both games against Memphis canceled because the Grizzlies were in protocols.
One week off to prepare for Knicks, who took the court for their third game in four nights in the Pacific time zone.
“Moreso this year with COVID, the schedule is against you and sometimes it’s for you,’’ Thibodeau said. “It usually balances out over the course of the year. We want to have the mental toughness to get through whatever we’re facing. This was the situation which they had been off a long time. You deal with what’s in front of you. We know we have to bring more to a game to win.’’
At the start, the Knicks looked western weary with no enthusiasm, no passion, looking very unlike Thibodeau’s club that started the trip with a victory in Golden State on Thursday.
The Blazers? They looked like lions unleashed from cages with the top predator Lillard, who hit his first eight shots and had 25 points early in the third quarter.
“I’d like to think we’d have fresh legs but you never know,’’ Blazers coach Terry Stotts said before the game. “We got some rest. Anytime you are given several days without a game to work on things on the court and at the same time get rest, it’s pretty valuable.’’
With Alec Burks hitting five 3-pointers and Quickley doing it all, the Knicks roared back. Quickley drew two three-shot fouls off 3-point attempts late in the fourth quarter.
They did it essentially without RJ Barrett, who has a motor that never quits. But he took just one shot in the first two quarters. That’s not what Barrett has been of late, averaging 21 points in the prior six outings. Thibodeau benched him in the fourth quarter and he finished with eight points.
The Knicks, who had been the league’s best defensive team, allowed the Blazers 70 points in the first half as they fell behind by 20 points. The Knicks looked mentally and physically worn down during that 70-50 half.
Quickley admitted Portland’s week off may have helped.
“You can tell the way they were pushing the ball,’’ Quickley said. “It’s the way the NBA is now.’’
The Knicks’ malaise from the Sacramento game carried over to the Pacific Northwest. Thibodeau admitted before the game he saw some signs of “fatigue’’ with players not “finishing their cuts or maintaining spacing.’’
“But I did like the fight,’’ Thibodeau said.
And the coach liked the late fight again versus Portland even in a second straight loss that dropped the Knicks to 8-10.
When the four-game trip ends Tuesday in Utah, the Knicks will have played 12 of their first 19 games on the road. Thibodeau has talked about it being a benefit to create bonding.
But for now, the Knicks are hanging on with a rookie leading the pathway.