Immanuel Quickley made a spectacular return to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, leading his team to a 130-113 victory over the Nets that broke their painful 11-game losing streak.
The 25-year-old guard hadn’t played in 22 games, but you wouldn’t know it from his performance. He dropped 21 points and dished out 5 assists, capping off the night with a beautiful three-pointer over the Raptors’ logo during a game-changing 25-6 run in the fourth quarter.
“When you have the game taken away from you for a long time, you’re a little bit more grateful. You miss it,” Quickley said, starting his postgame interview with a warm New Year’s greeting to reporters.
It’s been a tough season for the young star. He took a nasty fall on his tailbone in the home opener back in October. Though he managed to play two games in November, an elbow injury – a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament – put him back on the sidelines.
“Not that I took the game for granted before, I feel like I work pretty hard,” he explained. “But it’s just good to compete and be out there with your teammates, coaches. It’s just a different feeling than being on the sidelines.”
His impact was clear from the start. By halftime, Quickley had already racked up 11 points, 7 assists, and a rebound in just 17 minutes, helping the Raptors play their best offensive basketball of the season.
Coach Darko Rajakovic couldn’t contain his excitement about having his floor general back.
“He’s got a lot of skills but he’s a point guard,” Rajakovic beamed after the game. “When he’s bringing the ball up the floor, he is calling plays on the run, recognizing situations. He’s my extension on the floor when he plays out there.”
This isn’t the first time Quickley has energized the Raptors. After coming over from the Knicks in a trade last December, he put up career-best numbers – 18.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game. Those impressive stats earned him a massive five-year, $175M contract.
“We’re trying to build a culture: a culture of winning, enthusiasm, joy and unselfishness,” Quickley said. “Guys are really happy when other guys are playing well and then winning on top of that, which is the most important thing.”
