Nets point guard Kyrie Irving taught the boy a lesson in the second quarter, putting a series of fakes and spin moves on Knicks rookie Immanuel Quickley.
Irving finally turned away from Quickley for an undisputed finger roll.
In his first NBA career start in Monday’s loss against the Nets, Quickley gained a learning experience but was barely overwhelmed in the national TV spotlight.
“It was absolutely intensity during the game against Kyrie, James Harden,” said Quickley. ‘They are insultingly gifted. It was really cool starting with them and it will get me started. ”
Regarding that one streak when Irving faked him out of his white Knicks shorts, Quickley said, “He’s a great player going to play, but I have that growth mindset that will get me started.”
Quickley scored 21 runs, but shot only 4-for-12 from three-point reach.
With the Knicks decimated at point guard missing their top two players in Elfrid Payton (hamstring) and Derrick Rose (COVID-19 protocols), coach Tom Thibodeau started Quickley over Frank Ntilikina, who served as Quickley’s backup and in 16 minutes.
Ntilikina was winless for the third game in a row, going 0-for-5 and 0-for-4 on 3s. But Thibodeau thanked Ntilikina’s fourth-quarter defense for helping the Knicks make a comeback.
Quickley led the attack to an early 18-11 lead after hitting a difficult baseline floater over Jeff Green. When Ntilikina entered Quickly, it all fell apart. The Nets started a 14-2 run and a second unit that suddenly didn’t have Quickley was roasted.
The Knicks’ radio team of Ed Cohen and Brendan Brown has been indefinitely sidelined as the duo is in health and safety protocols, The Post has learned.
Cohen and Brown have been the radio team for the past three seasons, heard locally on ESPN Radio. Son of Hubie Brown and a former Memphis assistant, Brown has been the occasional Knicks radio analyst since 2008. Cohen and Brown, in their fourth season together, did not travel with the team during the pandemic season, instead calling home games from the yard.
John Giannone and John Wallace will fill in as the radio broadcast team until further notice.
Austin Rivers, who was banned from rotation before going on paternity leave, is not expected to return to his father Doc’s team, the Sixers, on Tuesday. Thibodeau indicated that Rivers’s fiancé is still pregnant. The Knicks have said he’s out for “personal reasons.”
“It’s hard to say just because with fatherhood, when he has the baby and he’s ready to come back, he’ll come back,” Thibodeau said. “We’ll give him all the time he needs.”
Mitchell Robinson (hand surgery) was first seen by the media on Monday shooting without a cast. He’s been gone five weeks.
“He’s making progress,” said Thibodeau. So there is progression in this. He’s actually doing well. He still has to make contact in practice and things like that. But hopefully it will be soon. ”