Julius Randle became an All-Star last week. He became a winner in Detroit on Sunday.
After being a part of losing teams for six previous seasons, Randle has led the Knicks to a winning record – set on Sunday with a 109-90 defeat to the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.
The Knicks advanced to 18-17 to occupy fourth place in the stacked Eastern Conference. It’s the last time they’ve been over .500 in a season since the 2012-13 54-win campaign.
The Knicks led 11 at halftime and Randle knocked out the Pistons’ light with a brilliant 12-point third quarter. Randle finished with 25 points in 10 of 17 shootings, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals as his bust-out season roared one night after dominating All-Star Domantas Sabonis of the Pacers.
“I think that’s the nature of the competition,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. “Sometimes the schedule is in your favor, sometimes it is against it. The challenge is to always be ready when you need to go. So back to back, travel, you come in late, the ball goes up, let’s get ready to roll. Just find a way to make it happen. That’s what we did. “
And Randle – best of all – didn’t miss a game, playing in all 35 major minutes.
The Knicks have two more games to go before the All-Star break – Tuesday in San Antonio and Thursday to host the Pistons in a rematch. It’s safe to say they have a great opportunity to slip into their week-long vacation with a winning record.
Randle had timely help from RJ Barrett, who wove his second powerhouse game in a row with 20 points (7 of 11). Last season, Randle and Barrett had little chemistry. All that has changed in this remarkable first season under coach Tom Thibodeau.
Randle has already made more 3-pointers than last season, namely 3 or 5 Sunday. He now has 66 of the season after 35 games. Randle registered just 64 in a pandemic-shortened 64-game campaign last season.
The Knicks advanced to 6-2 since the start of center Mitchell Robinson broke his hand in Washington.
Barrett scored 12 points in the first half. He drilled two 3-pointers and ran to the hoop with muscle for all types of runners.
After scoring 24 points against Indiana on Saturday, Barrett was a solid 5 of 7 off the field in the half while the Knicks took a 48-37 lead at half time.
The Knicks had that lead despite shooting only 36.7 percent of the field. It was an ugly first half – personified by the gritty defense of center Nerlens Noel.
Noel, the last Knicks pivot standing, was a beast in the lane in defense. He made three blocks, including a spectacular stop at the edge on a ride by lottery rookie Saddiq Bey.
Noel finished the evening with eight points, 11 rebounds, three steals to go with three blocks.
The Knicks are ravaged in the middle. Robinson will be out with a broken hand until possibly the end of March and backup Taj Gibson could miss the time on Saturday with a sprained ankle. It’s forced Noel into a big role and he steps into it with grace and grit. He is fifth in the NBA in blocks per game with nearly 2.0.
Ex-Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr., starting for Detroit, drilled an early 3-pointer. He was 1 in 6 in the half when the Pistons shot only 30.8 percent, but also had a nice block. Smith finished with seven points and four assists.