Immanuel Quickley (ankle) out, Quentin Grimes starts for Knicks in Game 5 vs. Heat
Knicks guard Quentin Grimes (6) tries to get around Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) as he defends Miami Heat guard Gabe Vincent (2) in the 2nd quarter during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 10, 2023. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
The Knicks were without Immanuel Quickley for a second straight game as he was ruled out with a sprained left ankle — with the team hopeful that if the series was extended beyond Wednesday night’s Game 5 he could play.
“He’s day-to-day,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He’s getting better but not quite ready.”
With Quickley sidelined, the Knicks have returned Quentin Grimes to the starting lineup for the last two games — providing more shooting for the starters and at the same time sending Josh Hart to the bench to give an energy boost.
But Thibodeau pointed out that the starters may not matter as much as assuring that he has the right players on the floor at the end to match up with the Heat’s shortened rotation.
“What you have to look at is you have to look at the matchups,” he said. “If you study it you’ll see that the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter, it’s going to be [Jimmy] Butler’s going to play 11, 12 minutes, Bam [Adebayo’s] playing 11, 12 minutes. [Kyle] Lowry’s playing 12 minutes. [Caleb] Martin’s playing 12 minutes. It’s a lot that has to do with that. Basically, it’s a seven-man rotation for them. It’s going to be tighter.”
Although he hasn't played in the series, Evan Fournier was ruled out with an illness.
Randle honored
Julius Randle earned third-team All-NBA honors, the lone Knicks player to make the All-NBA team this season. It marked the second time that Randle has been honored in the last three seasons, making second-team All-NBA in the 2020-21 season.
Jalen Brunson did not get a spot, finishing ninth among guards behind the six who made the team (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry, Donovan Mitchell, De’Aaron Fox and Damian Lillard) as well as Jrue Holiday and Ja Morant. Brunson had five second-team votes and eight third-team votes.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
