BBNBA: Immanuel Quickley, Malik Monk shine during final day of regular season
It’s always so bittersweet reaching this day of the season. Starters barely play, guys who will barely sniff a roster spot next season get their chance to shine on an NBA court and most fans realize they won’t see their teams play again until October. Let’s take a look at some of the wild and wacky from the final day of the 2021-22 regular season before the playoffs get going in a few days.
Quickley pours in second triple-double in a week
Oh boy, good thing it took Tom Thibodeau roughly two full seasons and a collapse this year to realize that he might have the point guard of his future rotting on the bench. Forced to watch Elfrid Payton, Alec Burks and the corpse of Kemba Walker try and play ahead of him, Immanuel Quickley has been shoehorned into being a straight scoring option off the bench for his young career.
Who would have thought that it would take the Knicks’ season turning into a complete joke for things to change? Ever since being handed more responsibility at the point, IQ has looked nearly elite, grabbing his second triple-double in a week on Sunday. The former SEC Player of the Year had 34 points on 26 shots, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 12 assists in the 105-94 win over the Raptors.
Will New York make the rational and reasonable decision of keeping Quickley as their starting point guard heading into next season? It’s hard to trust the brass over at Madison Square Garden so probably not, but at least we’ll have something to look forward to in New York with the 2022-23 season.
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Malik Monk’s 40-piece leads Lakers
Maybe the Lakers should’ve been running their offense around Malik Monk all season. With almost nobody of note playing for either team in the 146-141 win for Los Angeles, Monk was given free reigns to do nearly whatever he wanted on the last day of the season.
The man who spent this season on a veteran’s minimum contract topped out what was already the best season of his career with a career-high 41 points in the win. You could make the argument that he’s been the third-best player on the Lakers as a whole this season behind some guys named LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
It’ll be interesting to see the market that gathers around Monk and where he’ll be playing next season. I can surely guarantee though that it won’t be for the minimum.
Statistics
| Player | Result | Points | FG (3PA) | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | Turnovers | Minutes | +/- |
| Malik Monk (LAL) | 146-141 OT/W @ DEN | 41 | 14-25 (7-14) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 35 | -5 |
| Immanuel Quickley (NYK) | 105-94 W vs. TOR | 34 | 12-26 (6-14) | 10 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 42 | 23 |
| Tyrese Maxey (PHI) | 118-106 W vs. DET | 25 | 9-15 (0-4) | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23 | -12 |
| Keldon Johnson (SAS) | 130-120 L @ DAL | 24 | 8-19 (1-6) | 6 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 34 | -9 |
| B.J. Boston (LAC) | 138-88 W vs. OKC | 18 | 8-15 (0-2) | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 38 | 34 |
| DeMarcus Cousins (DEN) | 146-141 OT/L vs. LAL | 17 | 5-7 (2-3) | 9 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 1 |
| Wenyen Gabriel (LAL) | 146-141 OT/W @ DEN | 14 | 6-13 (0-1) | 10 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 14 |
| Mychal Mulder (MIA) | 125-111 L @ ORL | 11 | 3-9 (3-7) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | -5 |
| P.J. Washington (CHA) | 124-108 W vs. WAS | 9 | 4-4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 8 |
| Trey Lyles (SAC) | 116-109 W @ PHX | 9 | 4-10 (0-1) | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 7 |
| Isaiah Jackson (IND) | 134-126 L @ BKN | 7 | 3-4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 32 | 3 |
| Rajon Rondo (CLE) | 133-115 W vs. MIL | 6 | 2-5 (2-4) | 4 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 17 |
| Kevin Knox (ATL) | 130-114 W @ HOU | 1 | 0-2 (0-2) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -4 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt (MIN) | 124-120 L vs. CHI | 0 | 0-2 (0-1) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | -14 |
| Nick Richards (CHA) | 124-108 W vs. WAS | DNP – Coach’s Decision | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) | 124-120 L vs. CHI | DNP – Rest | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Bam Adebayo (MIA) | 125-111 L @ ORL | DNP – Health & Safety | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Tyler Herro (MIA) | 125-111 L @ ORL | DNP – Knee | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Hamidou Diallo (DET) | 118-106 L @ PHI | DNP – Finger | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | 138-88 L @ LAC | DNP – Ankle | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| De’Aaron Fox (SAC) | 116-109 W @ PHX | DNP – Hand | – | – | – | – | – | -. | – | – |
| Devin Booker (PHX) | 116-109 L vs. SAC | DNP – Rest | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Eric Bledsoe (POR) | 111-80 L vs. UTA | DNP – Achilles | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Anthony Davis (LAL) | 146-141 OT/W @ DEN | DNP – Foot | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nerlens Noel (NYK) | 105-94 W vs. TOR | DNP – Foot | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Julius Randle (NYK) | 105-94 W vs. TOR | DNP -Quad | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
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