BBNBA: Immanuel Quickley, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander impress in losing efforts
The NBA was not kind to former Kentucky Wildcats on Thursday night. Between three games, five one-time Cats saw action. Yet, none of them saw a win. Despite the disappointing outcomes, the UK representatives still turned in grade-A performances.
Two of those grade-A showings came from Julius Randle and Immanuel Quickley. Unfortunately for the duo, the NBA operates on a pass-fail system. Quickley led the Knicks with 25 points, five rebounds and seven assists in the New York Knicks’ 111-106 loss to the Orlando Magic.
Quickley’s performance is another boost in his journey to the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, which he currently holds the second-best odds to win. While Quickley typically comes off the bench, he looked like a leader on Thursday night.
As the time expired in the first half, Randle believed he got fouled. He wasn’t afraid to let the referee know his opinion. Without hesitation, Quickley jumped between the two, trying to reason with Randle. The All-Star forward wasn’t having it, turning his anger toward Quickley.
It was a bad look for the one-time Wildcat. Then again, brothers fight. Randle finished the game with 23 points, nine boards and four assists while shooting 7-20 from the field. The loss is the Knicks’ third in a row, placing them fifth in the Eastern Conference.
The Shai Gilgeous-Alexander show
At a certain point, you simply feel bad for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Essentially every night, the 6-foot-6 guard puts on a show worth the price of admission. However, more often than not, he’s handed a lackluster reward for his effort.
Thursday night was no different. In the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 127-105 loss to the LA Clippers, SGA was spectacular. The former Kentucky star dropped 30 points on 10-15 shooting while adding four rebounds and three assists.
SGA has hit 30 or more points in 41 games this season. He is the third Thunder player to ever reach this milestone, joining Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant; not bad company.
SGA’s endless effort has kept the Thunder in the playoff race. The team is in 11th place in the Western Conference, yet they’re only two games behind the four-seed. It’s safe to say the race to the playoffs is a tight one.
The Hornets might be hopeless
Unfortunately, not every team is running in this competitive race. The Charlotte Hornets dropped its 51st game of the season in embarrassing fashion on Thursday evening. PJ Washington led Charlotte with 18 points, two rebounds and two assists in the 115-96 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Former Kentucky teammate Nick Richards did his part, as well. The 7-footer added nine points and 14 rebounds in the defeat. Richards will be paid well for his efforts.
On Wednesday night, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski announced Wednesday night that Richards and the Hornets inked a three-year, $15 million contract extension. Three is the magic number. In Richards’ junior year at UK, he burst onto the scene. Three years into the NBA, Richards is repeating history.
3/23/2023
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | MIN | +/- |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | 127-115 L @ LAC | 30 | 10-15 (1-1) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 27 | -1 |
| Immanuel Quickley (NYK) | 111-106 L @ ORL | 25 | 7-17 (2-7) | 5 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 42 | +7 |
| Julius Randle (NYK) | 111-106 L @ ORL | 23 | 7-20 (2-9) | 9 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 36 | +20 |
| PJ Washington (CHA) | 96-115 L @ NO | 18 | 7-20 (2-10) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 35 | -12 |
| Nick Richards (CHA) | 96-115 L @ NO | 9 | 3-4 (0-0) | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 30 | -15 |
| Olivier Sara (OKC) | 127-115 L @ LAC | 3 | 1-1 (1-1) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | -2 |
Tonight in the NBA
7:00 (NBA TV): Pacers (Jackson) @ Celtics
7:00: Spurs (Johnson: probable) @ Wizards
7:30: Pistons (Diallo: out) @ Raptors
8:00: Rockets (TyTy Washington: G League) @ Grizzlies
8:30: Hornets (PJ Washington, Richards) @ Mavericks
9:00: Bucks @ Jazz
10:00 (NBA TV): 76ers (Maxey) @ Warriors
10:00: Bulls @ Trailblazers (Sharpe, Knox)
10:00: Suns (Booker) @ Kings (Fox, Monk, Lyles)
10:30: Thunder (Gilgeous-Alexander) @ Lakers (Davis: probable, Gabriel, Vanderbilt)
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