Quentin Grimes has logged heavy minutes in back-to-back starts for the Knicks, perhaps finally putting much of the uncertainty over his lingering foot injury behind him.
Tom Thibodeau often has lauded Grimes because the Knicks’ top perimeter defender, however the second-year guard was sidelined for all but 43 minutes of the team’s first 16 games because of the foot soreness that has hampered him since early in training camp.
Grimes was on the court for 65 minutes over the past two games, including 33 within the Knicks’ win Monday night in Oklahoma City to finish an encouraging 3-2 road trip against several formidable Western Conference opponents.
“I feel great … I feel like I’m form of back to my old game shape, really,” Grimes said after the sport. “We’re drained, but we wanted to come back out [of the trip] 3-2, and that’s what we did.”
The 22-year-old Grimes moved into the starting lineup within the Knicks’ loss the day prior to this in Phoenix, playing 32 minutes with Cam Reddish unavailable because of a groin injury suffered in Friday’s loss at Golden State.
Along with his eight points on 4-for-10 shooting Monday night, Grimes drew opposing guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as his primary defensive project. While the emerging star netted 30, Thibodeau credited Grimes and fellow second-year guard Miles McBride for his or her perimeter defense as a key to an improved effort after OKC put up 145 points within the previous meeting between the teams in Latest York eight days earlier.
“I do know he’s having a stellar season right away. I knew he was gonna be a tricky matchup coming in,” Grimes said of Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s fourth within the NBA with 31.1 points per game. “He’s a tricky guard. He likes to get downhill, he’s crafty. You are attempting to get physical with him, that’s why you see why he’s the most effective guards within the league.
“You simply try to go on the market and make it as tough as you may for him … and I feel like I did that.”
Even with Reddish sidelined for the past two games, veteran guard Evan Fournier didn’t play a minute on the road trip. With Derrick Rose also sidelined Monday with a toe injury suffered in the future earlier in Phoenix, McBride was allotted a season-high quarter-hour off the bench. He and Grimes notched two steals apiece among the many Knicks’ 10 for the sport.
“I assumed our defense was really good they usually’re a tough team to protect,” Thibodeau said of the Thunder. “They’re big, they’re quick. It requires you to make multiple efforts on almost every play. They’re good moving without the ball. But I liked our togetherness on each offense and defense.
“I assumed we had various guys step up and play well. You would start with Deuce and Quentin when it comes to ball pressure.”
Thibodeau noted that RJ Barrett and Julius Randle also posted “big games” with 25 points apiece and point guard Jalen Brunson “had a monster game” with a season-high 34 in “a superb, solid team win for us.”
“The way in which guys stepped up, Deuce coming in and giving us big minutes, QG, going from not playing for a bit and starting and giving us great minutes, I feel like everybody contributed,” said Immanuel Quickley, who registered 18 points. “That’s what we wanted.”
“It’s what’s expected,” Brunson added of Grimes and McBride. “These guys work hard. At any time when their number is named, they’re ready. It’s how they’ve all the time been after I’ve seen them from afar. Now that I’m seeing them up close and private it’s pretty cool to see.”
Quentin Grimes has logged heavy minutes in back-to-back starts for the Knicks, perhaps finally putting much of the uncertainty over his lingering foot injury behind him.
Tom Thibodeau often has lauded Grimes because the Knicks’ top perimeter defender, however the second-year guard was sidelined for all but 43 minutes of the team’s first 16 games because of the foot soreness that has hampered him since early in training camp.
Grimes was on the court for 65 minutes over the past two games, including 33 within the Knicks’ win Monday night in Oklahoma City to finish an encouraging 3-2 road trip against several formidable Western Conference opponents.
“I feel great … I feel like I’m form of back to my old game shape, really,” Grimes said after the sport. “We’re drained, but we wanted to come back out [of the trip] 3-2, and that’s what we did.”
The 22-year-old Grimes moved into the starting lineup within the Knicks’ loss the day prior to this in Phoenix, playing 32 minutes with Cam Reddish unavailable because of a groin injury suffered in Friday’s loss at Golden State.
Along with his eight points on 4-for-10 shooting Monday night, Grimes drew opposing guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as his primary defensive project. While the emerging star netted 30, Thibodeau credited Grimes and fellow second-year guard Miles McBride for his or her perimeter defense as a key to an improved effort after OKC put up 145 points within the previous meeting between the teams in Latest York eight days earlier.
“I do know he’s having a stellar season right away. I knew he was gonna be a tricky matchup coming in,” Grimes said of Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s fourth within the NBA with 31.1 points per game. “He’s a tricky guard. He likes to get downhill, he’s crafty. You are attempting to get physical with him, that’s why you see why he’s the most effective guards within the league.
“You simply try to go on the market and make it as tough as you may for him … and I feel like I did that.”
Even with Reddish sidelined for the past two games, veteran guard Evan Fournier didn’t play a minute on the road trip. With Derrick Rose also sidelined Monday with a toe injury suffered in the future earlier in Phoenix, McBride was allotted a season-high quarter-hour off the bench. He and Grimes notched two steals apiece among the many Knicks’ 10 for the sport.
“I assumed our defense was really good they usually’re a tough team to protect,” Thibodeau said of the Thunder. “They’re big, they’re quick. It requires you to make multiple efforts on almost every play. They’re good moving without the ball. But I liked our togetherness on each offense and defense.
“I assumed we had various guys step up and play well. You would start with Deuce and Quentin when it comes to ball pressure.”
Thibodeau noted that RJ Barrett and Julius Randle also posted “big games” with 25 points apiece and point guard Jalen Brunson “had a monster game” with a season-high 34 in “a superb, solid team win for us.”
“The way in which guys stepped up, Deuce coming in and giving us big minutes, QG, going from not playing for a bit and starting and giving us great minutes, I feel like everybody contributed,” said Immanuel Quickley, who registered 18 points. “That’s what we wanted.”
“It’s what’s expected,” Brunson added of Grimes and McBride. “These guys work hard. At any time when their number is named, they’re ready. It’s how they’ve all the time been after I’ve seen them from afar. Now that I’m seeing them up close and private it’s pretty cool to see.”
