Derrick Rose shines off bench again as Knicks roll past Rockets, 121-99
NEW YORK — The Knicks may have something special with Derrick Rose leading the second unit.
For the third straight game since acquiring the point guard, New York’s bench thoroughly outplayed the opposition. This time, on Saturday night against the short-handed Rockets, the result was an easy Knicks victory, 121-99, with Rose and backcourt mate Immanuel Quickley as the sparkplugs.
The pair combined for 38 points as New York’s bench bested Houston’s, 58-30. In the last three games, the Knicks’ reserves are a remarkable 74 points better than the opponent’s.
They were also efficient Saturday: Quickley had 22 points in 21 minutes on just nine shots; Rose recorded 16 points in 23 minutes on 11 shots.
“It’s great,” Quickley said of playing with Rose. “I appreciate the opportunity to play with a legend. A Hall of Famer easily. It’s great to learn from a player of that caliber, on the floor and off the floor.”
Obi Toppin, reserve power forward, added 11 points in just 15 minutes.
The Rockets (11-15) were without two of their best players — Victor Oladipo (strained foot) and Christian Wood (sprained ankle) — but the Knicks (13-15), playing on the second night of a back-to-back, also weren’t at full strength.
A few hours before the game, the Knicks announced that Mitchell Robinson would have surgery on the broken right hand he suffered in Friday’s victory over the Wizards. It should keep him out for at least a month.
Thibodeau took the practical approach to replacing his center and the Knicks didn’t skip a beat. Nerlens Noel, who is a similar type of player to Robinson, filled in for the alley-oops and rebounds. He finished with 10 points and two blocks in 31 minutes.
Taj Gibson was the backup and grabbed five rebounds with four points in 16 minutes.
“I think Taj, going in, his experience will help,” Thibodeau said before the game. “Nerlens has done a terrific job for us. We want to make sure we maintain the defensive component of our team and I think those two guys can do that.”
The Rockets, led by John Wall, briefly cut the deficit to 5 in the third quarter. But Quickley hit two 3-pointers at the end of the quarter and the Knicks were in control again.
