Quentin Grimes was not in uniform the night Pascal Siakam torched the Knicks for 52 points last month, sitting out due to a sprained ankle. 

But the starting shooting guard was a key factor defensively in holding the Raptors’ big man to 18 points in Friday’s win north of the border, the Knicks’ fourth in a row entering Monday’s home game against the Bucks. 

The 6-foot-5 Grimes “held his ground” against the 6-foot-8 Siakam, according to coach Tom Thibodeau, helping limit the former All-Star to a 4-for-14 shooting night from the field. 

“That was kind of the first time all game I had to guard, like, Scottie [Barnes] and Siakam down low in the post for most of the game,” said Grimes, who also scored 16 points in the victory. “It’s a different challenge, kind of a different obstacle for me to try to not let him get [to the] middle, force him [to the] base line, because I know I got help from Mitch [Robinson, center] on the back side. 

“I mean, it’s tough because those guys are bigger. … But I like taking on challenges, something different, and I’ll learn from it. We’ll see them again, so I can be better in different areas. Watch the film and be better for next time.” 

Thibodeau often has lauded Grimes as the Knicks’ best perimeter defender, but this assignment was akin to a step up in weight class for the second-year guard out of Houston. 

“Quentin, I don’t want to overlook his contribution,” Thibodeau said after the game. “In this situation, you have to guard a lot of guys with size, and sometimes he was on their guards, small guards who are quick and dynamic with the ball. And then other times, he was on Siakam or [OG] Anunoby or Barnes, and those guys pose different problems. 

“I thought he held his ground. I thought he battled. I thought he hit some timely shots for us. He’s playing real aggressive and hard, and that gives us a different tone to our team.” 

Grimes’ contributions and two-way effort have come to be expected by his teammates and the coaching staff. Point guard Jalen Brunson said he was “not surprised at all” by Grimes’ effectiveness against Siakam, who also sank 9 of 11 free-throw attempts in the game. 

“That’s what he does and he’s going to continue to get better and better,” Brunson said of Grimes. “We have so much confidence in him. On both sides of the ball, he’s an impact player. He’s been special.” 

Other than sitting out the Knicks’ home loss to Siakam and the Raptors on Dec. 21, Grimes has started every game since Nov. 20, averaging 12.6 points and 34.3 minutes over 23 appearances. He’s also been used as the primary defender against star players ranging from speedy Memphis point guard Ja Morant to the physical Siakam. 

“I see a fight in him. He don’t quit on plays. He’s out there, he’s fighting,” the 7-foot Robinson said of Grimes. “That’s what we need, everyone fighting, and he’s one of the guards that’s doing that.” 

Asked what gave him confidence that Grimes could defend effectively against Siakam, Thibodeau replied, “His feet and his strength. And then a guy like Siakam, I thought, you’re not guarding those guys, those type of players, individually. We have to guard them with our team, so a guy on them has the challenge of competing for everything — the catch, the dribble, the shot, and then the team has to also help. And I thought that was huge for us.”