It’s true what they say. “Hell has no rage as a Julius Randle despised.” The All-Star led his current team past his former team at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, taking control where needed and throwing in 34 points en route to a 111-96 victory over defending champions Lakers.
The win is the third in a row in New York, which is the team’s sixth victory this season. Last year, the Knicks only won at least three consecutive games twice. The Knicks are now 28-27 and planted pretty solid in the playoffs, though there are still a lot of tough games for the Knicks this season, including a tough six-way trip that pops up within a few weeks and stops in LA, Denver and Phoenix, to name but a few.
But it is for the future that we have to worry about. The Knicks just knocked down the defending champion. Sure, the Lakers were without LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but they still have an abundance of pretty good players, and New York could have easily slipped this one after two heavyweight wins against the Grizzlies and Raptors.
Randle, however, did not want to let the Knicks sneak up. Not against the team that refuses to make him part of his future.
Randle was not the only catalyst – he was helped in his efforts by a 20-point night from Elfrid Payton – but it was the brilliance of the power forward that shone best against the Lakers. He got off to an early start, hitting his first four shots and bursting out for 13 points in the first quarter.
The Beginners played a stifling defense, with Elf, RJ Barrett, Reggie Bullock and Nerlens Noel each scoring a steal in the first quarter, and at one point the Knicks scored a 10-0 run to ‘ to take a lead of seven points. Except for Randle, however, the Knicks struggled to find the bottom of the basket, and at the end of the first time, the Lakers led by two.
The second quarter featured some of Taj Gibson’s best work as Knick, though he was the perfect professional for his entire New York era. The 35-year-old veteran tipped 8 points and 7 touchdowns during the period, and his groundwork allowed people like Payton, Derrick Rose and Randle to focus on making sure the Knicks scored at least a few baskets. Elf, Rose and Randle combined 20 of the 29 points in the second quarter of the team, and at halftime, the Knicks comfortably maintained a three-point lead.
That the Knicks had any lead in the second half was remarkable. Barrett still had to score, and the Knicks were 1-11 from deep.
Bullock included a third quarter with 8 points, including two tries, Elf dropped another 4 points and RJ finally climbed on the board and ended the period with 5 points. But the quarter was mostly a lot of what we saw in the first half, while the teams were tit for tat, until Randle decided the game belonged to him.
First, he kept his composure after nearly turning the ball over and splashing a jumper when the shot clock expired.
Then he cares for Alex Caruso absolutely nothing while draining a three-pointer in Caruso’s face.
Randle unfortunately scored 5 times in the third time, and in the early part of the period he pressed a little too hard on the attack, but he took control in the end. In the quarter he had 7 points, 6 boards, 2 assistants, 1 steal and 1 block. His heroism, combined with the overall excellent defense of New York – LA shot 33% in third place, with 1-8 out of three, and scoring only 16 points – means that the Knicks found themselves 81-68.
The Lakers did not go down, but the Knicks never let them get too close. Seven Knicks scored in the final quarter, and although the Lakers matched their first quarter’s offensive output of 28 points, the Knicks scored 30, en route to the comfortable 111-96 victory.
Notes:
> Three cheers for Julius Randle, who delivered another MVP-worthy performance with 34 points (13-23 from the field, 5-6 from the free throw line), 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.
> Save some cheer for Elf, who at least for one night stopped some of the haters with a much-needed 20-point outing. He hit 9-12 shots (75%), adding 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. It was Payton’s 7th game this season with 20 or more points.
> Immanuel Quickley had 5 points and 2 turnovers in just over 15 minutes of action. Mike Breen noted during the broadcast that Quickley did not carry it over during his last 92 minutes of play, which was spread over six games. Maybe he did not transfer it, because Tom Thibodeau barely lets him play, Mike.
> We love you, Taj Gibson and Nerlens Noel. The centers kept Andre Drummond in check and, like Picasso, patrolled over the paint. They combined for 14 points, 19 rebounds, 6 steals and 5 blocks.
> Tough night for RJ, although he shot poorly (2-11 off the field), he was still a +18 at night. He had some lovely cents (three total) and despite his shooting fights continued to give maximum effort on both sides of the floor. He will bounce back.
> After a dubious foul call at the end of the first, Breen said the following: “Whatever it is, Tom Thibodeau is not happy about it.” Usually this is a universal phrase when it comes to Thibs.
But for now, he should be at least a little happy. The Knicks have won three consecutive games and still deserve respect in the NBA. New York now travels to New Orleans, where they play Zion Williamson and the Pelicans on Wednesday.
Maybe RJ was thinking about fighting with his old mate from the Blue Devils, which is why he struggled tonight. Regardless, it’s good that RJ was gone, because the Knicks had Randle, who, as usual, remarked his ‘Braidz’ cradle.