BBNBA: Julius Randle, Immanuel Quickley drop season-highs for Knicks
Former Kentucky Wildcats lit up the headlines like Christmas lights on Thursday night.
Seven former ‘Cats made appearances between four NBA contests. The talented John Calipari products did more than show up; they made waves. A young stud dropped a season-high; a veteran all-star reminded players of his talent; some simply battled for minutes. Nonetheless, it was all entertaining.
Keldon Johnson shoots down the Knicks’ shining moment
The San Antonio Spurs’ 122-115 win over the New York Knicks was the highlight of the night. With both teams struggling recently, the squads went to war for a win. Two former Kentucky players lined the ranks for the Knicks.
Julius Randle led all scorers with a season-high 41 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists while shooting 14-27 from the field and 6-13 from beyond the arc. Third-year pro Immanuel Quickley dropped his own season-high of 36 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists.
The contest is Quickley’s ninth NBA start and third this season. Clearly, the 6-foot-3 shooting guard is earning his minutes. However, he is not earning wins. Spurs’ star Keldon Johnson retaliated with his own 30-piece in only 32 minutes on the court; spoiling the Knicks’ special night.
While Johnson is no longer drilling halfcourt shots against Seton Hall, the 2019 SEC Freshman of the Year hasn’t stopped making highlight plays.
PJ Washington outshines Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Yes, you read that subheading correctly. In the Charlotte Hornets’ 121-113 triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder, PJ Washington was spectacular. The starting forward dropped 25 points, five rebounds and three assists for Charlotte. More impressive, Washington rarely missed.
The former All-American shot 10-13 from the field and 3-6 from deep. Thursday night’s performance was Washington’s 11th time scoring 25 or more as a pro. Of course, these numbers are nothing compared to his former UK teammate who now wears a different shade of blue.
Despite the loss, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 28 points, three rebounds and five assists for OKC. Crazier, this performance is subpar for SGA. The MVP candidate averages 31.4 points per outing this season, fourth-most in the NBA.
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Although SGA couldn’t carry his team to victory on Thursday evening, the guard has had moderate success. In spite of losing No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren to an injury before the season started, the Thunder are 15-20 and have won four of their last six contests.
Other ‘Cats claw their way into the boxscore
Not every former Kentucky player can have their best game of the season on one night. But, they can all contribute. John Wall added eight points and four assists to the LA Clippers’ effort in a 116-110 loss to the Boston Celtics.
Wall only played 16 minutes in the outing, six minutes fewer than his average. The point guard was efficient, shooting 3-6 from the field and a tidy 2-3 from deep. Unfortunately, not every previous UK point guard had such a solid night.
TyTy Washington Jr. struggled in the Houston Rockets’ 15-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The 6-foot-3 rookie guard only recorded three points while shooting a poor 1-6 from the field. Washington received 14 minutes despite his subpar performance.
12/29/2022 Statistics
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | MIN | +/- |
| Julius Randle (NYC) | 122-115 L @ SAS | 41 | 14-27 (6-13) | 11 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 43 | -2 |
| Immanuel Quickley (NYC) | 122-115 L @ SAS | 36 | 12-27 (5-12) | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 43 | -12 |
| Keldon Johnson (SAN) | 122-115 W vs. NYK | 30 | 11-21 (3-8) | 30 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 32 | -5 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | 121-113 L @ CHA | 28 | 11-23 (1-3) | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 36 | -9 |
| PJ Washington (CHA) | 121-113 W vs. OKC | 25 | 10-13 (3-6) | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 31 | +12 |
| John Wall (LAC) | 116-110 L @ BOS | 8 | 3-6 (2-3) | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | -4 |
| TyTy Washington (HOU) | 129-114 L @ DAL | 3 | 1-6 (0-3) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | +4 |
| Nick Richard (CHA) | 121-113 W vs. OKC | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Isaiah Jackson (IND) | 135-126 W vs. CLE | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Brandon Boston Jr. | 116-110 L @ BOS | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Tonight in the NBA
7:00: Wizards @ Magic
7:30 (NBA TV): Lakers (Davis: out, Gabriel) @ Hawks
7:30: Suns (Booker: out) @ Raptors
8:00: Pistons (Diallo, Knox, Noel) @ Bulls
8:00: Timberwolves (Towns: out) @ Bucks
8:30: 76ers (Maxey) @ Pelicans
9:00: Heat (Adebayo, Herro) @ Nuggets (Murray)
10:00 (NBA TV): Trail Blazers (Sharpe) @ Warriors
10:00: Jazz (Vanderbilt) @ Kings (Fox, Monk, Lyles)
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