Immanuel Quickley limited minutes Knicks return

Immanuel Quickley returns from knee injury, but is limited to 18 minutes. Tom Thibodeau navigates guard surplus as Quickley heads to free agency.

Immanuel Quickley made a strong return from a knee injury, but was limited to 18 minutes as Tom Thibodeau continued to navigate his guard surplus. The 24-year-old backup, who is headed toward free agency in the summer, didn't have a problem with his minutes. He emphasized the importance of being effective no matter how many minutes he gets, acknowledging that his playing time has been reduced compared to last season. Quickley missed a previous contest with knee soreness, which took him by surprise, but he felt good on the court and wasn't held back by a minutes restriction. He shot 6-for-8 with 15 points, but his defense was an issue. Thibodeau said he rode with the hot hands down the stretch, which resulted in Quickley only playing four minutes in the fourth quarter. Other rotational guards had varying success, with Quentin Grimes struggling and Donte DiVincenzo scoring 21 points. Wednesday's game was the first for the Knicks this season in high altitude, and players like Jalen Brunson shared their strategies for managing the thin air. Brunson also discussed his recent injury, expressing that it's part of the game. He suffered a sprained ankle but returned the next game and wasn't hindered by pain after playing 37 minutes.