Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes and Obi Toppin rose to the occasion for the Knicks in a playoff-clinching win over the Washington Wizards.
Five things to know from Sunday’s game
1. Without RJ Barrett, whom the Knicks ruled out due to an illness, Quickley entered the starting five and played a major role in New York’s second-half surge. A key catalyst as the Knicks came back from a 61-53 halftime deficit, Quickley scored 22 points on 8-of-18 shooting — including a 3-for-6 clip from deep — while adding six rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes.
2. Grimes, whose trey at the third quarter’s 4:33 mark gave the Knicks a 72-69 lead that they did not relinquish en route to their fourth-quarter rout, added more of the same. In a game-high 41 minutes, Grimes scored 27 points on 9-of-17 shooting — highlighted by a 6-for-11 mark from long range — while adding two rebounds and five assists.
3. As Julius Randle recovers from a sprained left ankle, Toppin takes advantage. He scored a season-high 21 points in 33 minutes from the starting lineup, going 9-of-15 shooting and hitting three triples on eight attempts behind the arc.
Toppin and Grimes played every second-half minute.
4. Jalen Brunson did much of what he has throughout his first season with the Knicks, but the aforementioned trio put New York over the top. To Brunson’s credit, though, the point guard produced 27 points on 11-of-20 shooting and eight assists in 39 minutes.
5. Josh Hart avoided an injury scare more than midway through the fourth quarter when he tweaked his right ankle. Hart left the game and entered the locker room before returning to the bench. Although Hart did not reenter, he was available if needed, according to MSG’s Rebecca Harlow. Hart finished with two points, six rebounds and three assists in 26 bench minutes.
Highlights
What’s next
After taking care of the Wizards (34-44), the Knicks (46-33) seek their fifth straight win Wednesday at 7 p.m. when they face the Pacers in Indiana.
