Ex-Knick delivers an impressive performance in the Raptors’ victory.

Immanuel Quickley posted 26 points, Pascal Siakam contributed 24, and the Toronto Raptors held off a late Memphis rally to secure a 116-111 victory on Wednesday night.

Quickley, acquired by Toronto in a late-December trade involving OG Anunoby and the New York Knicks, shot 8 of 18 from the field, including 5 of 8 on 3-pointers. Scottie Barnes added 20 points for Toronto.

In just his second game since the trade, Quickley has already made a positive impression on Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic.

“He fits great,” Rajakovic remarked about Quickley. “It’s a guy that can do so much with the ball. His shooting is really something that makes a difference for us.”

Quickley noted that the transition has been seamless, attributing it to the welcoming and family-oriented environment within the Toronto organization. He expressed, “The Raptors are a top-tier organization. It makes it really easy for me, the basketball part.”

“Darko pulled me aside while the game was going on and said: ‘You’re not having fun. Have fun,’” Quickley related about getting more comfortable with a new team. “I’ve never really had a coach do that.”

Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 28 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 24 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter. Desmond Bane added 22 for Memphis and Ziaire Williams scored 18 points.

“I’ve got to get this team better prepared. We were flat tonight. That’s on me,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said.

But the Memphis players were unwilling to let Jenkins take the blame for their play in a losing effort.

“As a coach, you can only do so much,” Bane said. “You don’t put a jersey on. You don’t run up and down the court. So, it has nothing to do with him, honestly. We’re all grown men. It’s on us. We’ve got to be better.”

Although Toronto held a 102-84 advantage with nine minutes remaining, Memphis orchestrated a 16-4 run, narrowing the deficit. Despite the Grizzlies closing in to within five points on multiple occasions, Toronto maintained control, securing the victory and extending its winning streak to two games.

“To be honest, in that fourth quarter, I thought we really didn’t keep control on the offensive end,” said Rajakovic, who was an assistant in Memphis before taking the reins in Toronto. “We were all over the place. What we were doing. What we were executing.”

Both teams entered the game with recent victories—Toronto against Cleveland on Monday, and Memphis over San Antonio on Tuesday. Despite their recent successes, both squads were positioned below the playoff cutoff in their respective conferences.

In the second quarter, Memphis struggled with shooting accuracy, allowing the Raptors to embark on an 11-point run, resulting in a 62-48 lead at halftime. Toronto extended its advantage to 20 with a modest push at the beginning of the second half, and with nine minutes remaining, the Raptors still maintained control.

However, Jackson’s scoring, coupled with 12 points from Williams, sparked a comeback for the Grizzlies. Memphis shot 52% in the fourth quarter, including 6 of 11 from beyond the arc.

Both teams entered the game with recent victories—Toronto against Cleveland on Monday, and Memphis over San Antonio on Tuesday. Despite their recent successes, both squads were positioned below the playoff cutoff in their respective conferences.

In the second quarter, Memphis struggled with shooting accuracy, allowing the Raptors to embark on an 11-point run, resulting in a 62-48 lead at halftime. Toronto extended its advantage to 20 with a modest push at the beginning of the second half, and with nine minutes remaining, the Raptors still maintained control.

However, Jackson’s scoring, coupled with 12 points from Williams, sparked a comeback for the Grizzlies. Memphis shot 52% in the fourth quarter, including 6 of 11 from beyond the arc.

“I was not happy with the way we executed in the fourth quarter,” Rajakovic said. “That’s what created a lot of issues for us.”