Julius Randle and RJ Barrett carried the night and the load as each played 40-plus minutes and combined for 54 points.
But the rookie point guard Immanuel Quickley, in his third NBA game, carried the Knicks home in the fourth quarter as they squeaked out a 113-108 road win Monday in Atlanta to end their four-game trip at 3-1.
Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks are now a winning ballclub at 4-3 — by far the hottest NBA team in New York after winning four of their last five games.
It’s the first time the Knicks have had a winning record after seven games since 2012-13 — when they won 54 games and last made the playoffs.
“We’re a mentally tough and we didn’t let that one game [a loss vs. Toronto] stop us,’’ Barrett said. “It was a great road trip overall.”
With the Knicks down 15 with 4:40 left in the third quarter, Thibodeau turned to his young rookie and paired him with new closer Austin Rivers. Thibodeau didn’t take Quickley out until seconds remained in the game.
And the coach got rewarded again for his instincts as Quickley finished with 16 points in 19 minutes — 10 in the final period.
As is his knack, Quickley drew a huge three-shot foul on Atlanta superstar Trae Young with 2:34 left, bagging all three free throws. Quickley also stripped Young late, outplaying the All-Star in crunch time.
The 22-year-old out of Kentucky already plays like a wily veteran.
“The coaches give me a lot of confidence, my teammates inspire me to give me a lot of confidence,’’ said Quickley, who was 4 of 6 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. “When you have great guys around you it makes it real easy to be comfortable in tight situations.
“When a coach sticks you in in the fourth quarter it means he trusts you, especially as a point guard when you have to lead the guys. Hopefully I’ll continue to do that.”
Quickley has made a solid backcourt pairing with Rivers, who is seizing the role of finisher. Rivers hit a huge 3-pointer with under a minute left, then drew a charge on Young.
Rivers was huge in closing Saturday’s big Indiana win, but the Knicks coach decided to keep riding Quickley.
“He can shoot,’’ Thibodeau said when asked why he stuck with Quickley. “Just the way he approaches the game. Attitude, approach. He does have that one skill that opens everything up and he’s a student of the game. We were struggling and we found a group that got going and we were riding with them.’’
“He’s very confident,’’ said Barrett, who was terrific with 26 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. “That might be half the battle.”
Randle scored 12 points in the first quarter and finished with 28 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists, falling one dish shy of a triple-double to continue his All-Star-caliber season. The Hawks were the first team not to double-team the Knicks’ emerging star.
In his previous six seasons, Randle has been only on losing clubs and now he’s getting a sweet taste, crediting his new head coach.
“It’s surprising, but I like the confidence of our group,’’ Randle said. “Every game we come in we expect to win. And I think it’s also a testament to the coaches. Thibs everyday is on us. He’s a great leader for us and has given us a game plan we believe in every day.’’
The Knicks fell behind by 15 before rallying in the final 1:30 of the third quarter. Kevin Knox hit a 3-pointer for his first bucket of the night. Quickley blew by former Duke standout Cam Reddish for a layup. And then Knox hit another 3 — a buzzer-beater from the corner after which he raised his arms in celebration — as the Knicks cut the deficit to 88-84 after three quarters.
Quickley scored on a floater to start the fourth quarter, making it 88-86 and he became the late hero — not Young, despite his 31 points.
“We didn’t play great but we found a way to win,’’ Thibodeau said. “I love the fight in the team.”
