Raptors point guard Immanuel Quickley provided 101 points in four games as Toronto finished a trip West with a record of four wins and one loss, including a victory over the Thunder on Sunday in Oklahoma City.
I didn’t catch fire
said Quickley, a 26-year-old athlete from Maryland, in response to this image mentioned by a reporter in a post-game press conference on the network NBA Content Networkafter a 103-101 victory Sunday against the reigning NBA champions.
I’m not the type whose performance keeps changing
Quickley continued. I keep a cool head. I continue to work, watch video, take care of myself, and trust God.
Quickley led the Raptors with 23 points including two crucial three-pointers, with 1:49 and 1:16 on the clock. He also made the decisive free throws with 8.2 seconds left.
Since a game in San Francisco on Jan. 20, Quickley has 40, 18, 20 and 23 points. Was this a result of being particularly fit?
More a question of mentality
he replied. The mind probably accounts for 80% in professional sport. That’s the mentality I have: don’t take a night off and try to dominate in attack and defense in every game.
On January 7, in Charlotte, Quickley scored a last-second game-winning three-pointer. He hits the big shots
said Ja’kobe Walter, who returned to the game after problems with his right hip. He lives for these moments.
Quickley averaged 17.1 points this season in 45 games.
Congratulations from the coach
He doesn’t rush things
said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic. He trusts his teammates. There is a calm that inhabits him and that helps him a lot.
Scottie Barnes delivered another exceptional game, he who could very well be named one of the NBA’s all-star players on Sunday evening, when the league reveals the rest of the guests for the all-star game on February 15.
With Toronto clinging to a two-point cushion, Barnes blocked a Chet Holmgren shot and grabbed the loose ball with 28 seconds left. Then, with 13 seconds left, he grabbed the rebound after a missed free throw by Jamal Shead. That led to key free throws from Quickley.
Returning after missing seven games, Walter stood out with nine points and three steals.
Undefeated for four games, the Toronto club has 16 road victories, a record in the East.
With their 29-19 record, the Raptors are just one win away from matching their haul from the entire previous season.
We learn in every game
a dit Rajakovic. What’s the comfort level of our players, how to optimize screens, that sort of thing. There is a lot of material to pore over, in an ongoing process. There is something to take away from every match.
Leaders in the circuit for points in quick restarts (19.2), the Raptors are second in the league with 17 wins in tough situations (when there is a maximum of five points difference in the last five minutes). They are also fifth for fewest turnovers per game (13.1).
The Raptors will play Wednesday night at home, against the New York Knicks.
