With the New York Knicks having already clinched the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference, they faced the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night without Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson, and RJ Barrett. Yet, instead of taking their foot off of the gas in a meaningless game, three young Knicks stars set an NBA record in a 138-129 win.
Immanuel Quickley: 39 PTS
Obi Toppin: 32 PTS
Quentin Grimes: 36 PTSThis is the first trio in NBA history to each have 30 points and five 3-pointers in the same game 🔥🗽 pic.twitter.com/oz2Eaqz3We
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 6, 2023
Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, and Quentin Grimes combined for 107 points, 15 rebounds, and 19 assists. They were 39-of-67 from the field (58% shooting) and 17-of-38 from beyond the arc (45%) in a tremendous display that’s even more impressive considering the three players who were responsible for it.
The trio of Quickley, Toppin, and Grimes played a combined 30 minutes in the Knicks’ first game of the season. Grimes only played double-digit minutes once before November 20th, and Toppin only averaged 13.6 minutes per game in March. Yet, when the opportunity presented itself, all three rose to the occasion and posted the first game in Knicks history where three players each scored 32+ Points and only the third game ever where three teammates each had 30 points.
Grimes, Quickley and Toppin give the Knicks three 30-point scorers in a game for the first time since March 24, 1979 (Williams, Monroe and Knight). This is the third time in franchise history this has happened.
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) April 6, 2023
What’s even more heartening for Knicks fans is that all three players are young, homegrown talents. Quickley and Toppin were both drafted in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft, while Grimes was the team’s first-round selection in 2021. In fact, both Quickley and Grimes were selected with the 25th overall pick in their respective draft, which shows just have successful the Knicks have been at evaluating talent in the later portion of drafts.
That proved doubly true when you consider that Mitchell Robinson, a 2018 second-round pick, also posted 14 points, 16 rebounds, and seven blocks in the win over Indiana.
The win was New York’s fifth in a row and puts them a season-high 14 games over .500. Considering how dynamic the performance was without Randle, Brunson, and Barrett, the Knicks also showcased just how deep a team they can be if necessary. With Randle’s recovery timeline from his sprained ankle still up in the air, the Knicks might need more from Toppin in the playoffs than they expected.
However, it’s been the emergence of Grimes over the last couple of weeks with Randle and Brunson banged up that’s most important to New York’s potential success in the playoffs. The starting shooting guard is averaging 17.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists over his last 10 games while shooting a ridiculous 48.8% from beyond the arc.
If you take just his last seven games, Grimes is averaging 23 points, five rebounds, and 4.1 assists, while shooting 34-of-71 from deep, good for 47.8%. That type of performance and floor-spacing gives the Knicks’ offense an added dimension that will make it even harder for opposing defenses to stop in the playoffs if Randle and Brunson are able to play at 100%.
In fact, after putting up 138p points last night, the Knicks passed the Denver Nuggets for the 4th-best offensive rating in the NBA at 117.0. They trail both the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia Sixers, who are tied for second, by 0.1 points per 100 possessions, which means the Knicks could easily finish the season with the 2nd-best offensive rating in the NBA, something that would have been unthinkable before the year started.
With just two games remaining in the season, this team is playing with impressive confidence and continuing to set franchise records with their young core at the center of everything. It’s a good time to be a Knicks fan.
For more Knicks coverage, visit amNY Sports
