NBA: Knicks storm back in Portland to keep pace in East
FILE – Immanuel Quickley #5 of the New York Knicks celebrates teammate Jalen Brunson’s three point shot late in the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden on March 01, 2023 in New York City. The New York Knicks defeated the Brooklyn Nets 149-118. Elsa/Getty Images/AFP
Immanuel Quickley tallied 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the visiting New York Knicks overcame a 16-point deficit to notch a 123-107 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.
Julius Randle added 24 points and 10 rebounds, and RJ Barrett scored 22 points for New York, which has won 11 of its past 14 games. Miles “Deuce” McBride scored a career-best 18 points and Josh Hart added 16 for the Knicks, who are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with just 11 games left.
Damian Lillard recorded 38 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Portland, which lost its fourth straight game and ninth in its past 12. Anfernee Simons scored 22 points and Matisse Thybulle added 15 for the Trail Blazers.
Too much space for @IQ_GodSon 🎯 pic.twitter.com/Qkqyb4rKsQ
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 15, 2023
Portland resides in 13th place in the Western Conference and is three games behind the final play-in spots with just 13 games remaining.
New York played without Jalen Brunson (foot) for the fifth time in six games. Portland’s Jerami Grant (quadriceps) also missed the contest.
The Knicks shot 51.9 percent from the field, including 15 of 35 from 3-point range (42.9 percent). Obi Toppin added 11 points for New York.
The Knicks scored 42 third-quarter points and outscored the Trail Blazers 74-52 in the second half.
Deuce GOT UP 🚀
Career-high 18 points and counting pic.twitter.com/hUe3RTvUF5
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 15, 2023
Jusuf Nurkic had 10 points and 10 rebounds and Trendon Watford also scored 10 for the Trail Blazers, who shot just 38.4 percent from the field and were 17 of 45 from behind the arc (37.8 percent).
New York trailed by 16 early in the second quarter and finally caught the Trail Blazers at 55-55 on a Randle dunk with 10:20 left in the third. The Knicks moved ahead for the first time at 75-74 when Randle converted a three-point play with 3:54 left in the period.
Quickley capped a quarter-ending 20-7 surge with a jumper with four seconds left as New York took a 91-81 lead into the final stanza.
McBride scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to boost the Knicks’ lead to 15. Two-plus minutes later, Toppin buried a 3-pointer to make it 104-86 and New York cruised the rest of the way.
Lillard scored 18 points to help Portland lead 55-49 at the break.
Shaedon Sharpe of the Trail Blazers opened the second with a trey to make it 36-20 before the Knicks later used a 16-5 burst to get back into the game.
