The post Knicks’ Jalen Brunson gets 100% real about Immanuel Quickley after Raptors game appeared first on ClutchPoints.
On Sunday night, the New York Knicks had another difficult test in front of them in the form of the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors have been one of the best teams in the East in the early goings of the 2025-26 campaign, with Brandon Ingram bringing good fortune to the team after two poor seasons. But in the end, the more battle-tested Knicks team came out on top in convincing fashion, 116-94, to move to 13-6 on the season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis matchup against the Raptors saw the Knicks welcome a familiar face in Immanuel Quickley back to Madison Square Garden. As one would recall, the Knicks traded away Quickley, a homegrown talent that they acquired on draft night back in 2020, along with RJ Barrett, to the Raptors in exchange for OG Anunoby. Quickley has since progressed as a promising starting point guard, even earning a five-year, $175 million contract extension.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson had nothing but kind words to say for Quickley, his backup for when they shared a locker room for one and a half seasons in the Big Apple.
“This is the opportunity he was looking for, and he’s showing out. I have nothing but respect for him – that’s my guy. We go out there, we compete, but I’m always rooting for him,” Brunson said, per SNY’s Knicks Videos on X (formerly Twitter).
For Brunson to give Quickley a huge stamp of approval is a good sign for the Raptors moving forward. Some may think that Toronto overpaid to keep Quickley for the long haul, but he is at least proving to be a good fit for this Toronto ensemble that’s trying to make noise in the East.
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Vincent Carchietta-Imagn ImagesIt always helps that the Knicks played in front of their home crowd on Sunday, helping them keep the Raptors at bay. But so far this season, the Knicks haven’t yet played their best basketball. They’re also still missing a few key pieces, most notably Anunoby, who is still dealing with a hamstring injury and currently has no timeline for a return.
The Knicks’ most recent victory was their fourth consecutive, and two of those games at least came against tough opposition in the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks and the resurgent Raptors.
They will be putting that winning streak on the line on Tuesday in another tough matchup against another division rival in the Boston Celtics. That contest will be on the road, where New York has gone just 3-5 this season.
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