Spurs Win Despite Huge Games From Knicks' Julius Randle, Immanuel Quickley

Keldon Johnson and the San Antonio Spurs managed to defeat the New York Knicks despite huge performances from Julius Randle and Immanuel Quickley.
Spurs Win Despite Huge Games From Knicks' Julius Randle, Immanuel Quickley
Spurs Win Despite Huge Games From Knicks' Julius Randle, Immanuel Quickley /

The San Antonio Spurs (12-23) defeated the New York Knicks (18-18) during the NBA Thursday slate, with 122-115 being the final score. 

After scoring 38 points in the first quarter, the Spurs established a helpful early advantage that was never lost for the remainder of the game. The Knicks led 25-21 at the 3:49 mark of the period, and San Antonio closed it out on a 17-4 run, leading by as many as 19.

The Knicks struggled to stay competitive in this game despite receiving a staggering 41 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists from Julius Randle. Perhaps what makes it all the more impressive: Immanuel Quickley added 36 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. 

“We didn’t play well,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “The numbers, when you don’t win, don’t mean anything to me.”

The Spurs also received strong standout performances from some of their key players. Keldon Johnson dropped an efficient 30 points, while Romeo Langford also had a season-high 23 points. San Antonio holds the belief that defensive execution was what got them the win.

"Just staying disciplined, executing," Johnson said. "I feel like we did a great job at executing and we stayed solid on defense for the most part. Obviously we had some mistakes but we stayed solid and just kept playing with each other."

The Spurs return to action on Saturday when they take on the Dallas Mavericks at AT&T Center.


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Grant Afseth
GRANT AFSETH

Grant Afseth is an NBA reporter primarily covering the Dallas Mavericks, but also the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, and Orlando Magic for FanNation, as well as the league at larger for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).