Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Collin Sexton had quite an evening at Madison Square Garden on Thursday as his Cavs defeated the New York Knicks, 125-118.
Following the victory, the 20-year-old described his experience in his first-ever appearance in the Mecca of basketball:
“It feels good to be here,” Sexton said, via Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “You know all the history. I’ve played at the Celtics, Staples Center and here. That’s three of the best arenas you can play in and you always dream of playing in these arenas, so tonight it was really good.”
Sexton remarked the “energy” from the Knicks fans was “crazy.”
The 6-foot-2 rookie point guard appeared to have been feeding off the energy of the crowd all night long, as he dropped 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting to help guide his side to victory. Sexton also recorded two 3-pointers, three rebounds, three assists, and no turnovers in 32 minutes of action.
It is worth noting that the Cavs drafted Sexton eighth overall last summer, which happens to be just one pick away from the Knicks, who had the ninth pick. New York eventually decided on scooping up University of Kentucky standout Kevin Knox.
Nonetheless, the Knicks definitely had a look at Sexton and may have had them in their sights right before the Cavs snagged him from right under their noses. While these are now all merely presuppositions, Sexton was still able to give the New York supporters a treat on Thursday, and, perhaps, a preview of exactly what they are missing out on.