Team leader Julius Randle felt it. The Knicks needed Wednesday’s rematch in Chicago. They needed it badly.
The Knicks were at a crossroads, losing five of their six games after losing a bad one to the Bulls at United Center on Monday. They had dropped to 11th in the Eastern Conference, four games under .500.
“Kind of like a playoff game, you play against the same team in such a short time,” Randle said beforehand.
‘We have to make our adjustments. Most importantly, we just need to have more urgency to start the game – think of it as a must-win. We cannot lose two in a row on this trip. ”
Randle took care of it.
The Knicks prevailed, 107-103, and Randle played as Captain Randle – the type of game that outperformed the box score. And the box score was really good – 27 points, six assists, six rebounds, 5-for-7 on 3-pointers.
Randle’s 3-point shooting was otherworldly this season. He posted an icy rate of 27.7 downtown in 2019-2020. He now shoots 38 percent from 3.
“Honestly, it just wasn’t a great season to shoot the ball from 3 last year,” said Randle. ‘It’s something I got in the lab and honed things up. Reps and trust, man. My mental approach is completely different. I have unlimited faith in it. ”
While combatant starting point guard Elfrid Payton put on a solid outing, Randle didn’t want to let the Knicks lose, even as the Bulls came back from 19 points down to within three on the track. Randle carried the Knicks home – for defense and offense.
“That’s what we expect from him – an experienced leader, playing strong on both sides of the ball, sharing the ball, making the right moves and being an example to everyone,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. “He gives the team the belief that we can win. You get that by making hustle plays. The more busy there is, the more it ignites and inspires the team. That’s what we expect from him. ”
One of Randle’s six assists came in 4:40. The Bulls were attacking for the first time all night. Chicago trailed 19 points late in the first period, 15 points after three. Now the backlog was three, not even five minutes. The Knicks’ easy walk through United Center had turned into a painful sprint by the end.
And here was Randle, rushing out onto the track, a double squad, firing a pass to Reggie Bullock in the corner. Bullock deflated the tree, raised the edge to six, and eventually blocked the wave. Last season, Randle would have forced something unsightly.
There were more big moments too late for Randle, after his strong first half of 15 points. This time, he took matters into his own hands and sank a tough jumper just inside the free-throw line over a doubles team with 2:00 left to make it 106-99.
Nearly over. But then Randle came up with his most enlightening play with 1 hour left, the Bulls still sniffing around, five behind.
With quick feet on the defense – a testament to his newfound stamina – Randle shot to the perimeter, chasing Bulls stud Zach LaVine, and harassing him in a controversial 3-pointer with 1:00 remaining. It missed a lot. About.
With three rough upcoming games against the Trail Blazers and a home-and-home versus the NBA finalist Heat, the Knicks needed it against the everyday Bulls.
At a crossroads in Chicago, the Knicks took the right split by winning in a city where Thibodeau has done his best work.
They beat the Bulls from the start and were relieved to fly back to New York to grab some fading momentum – their record 10-13.
That first quarter 34-17 was a masterpiece. Everything clicked. They chased the Bulls in a 0-for-8 brick show from the 3-point line.
Meanwhile, Randle drank three straight 3-pointers on three straight possessions and put on his All-Star ballcap. No one can remember if Randle ever hit two consecutive threes last season.
Randle scored 15 points in 18 minutes in the first half. If he’s not considered by the coaches for the All-Star team, something is very wrong.
The NBA is finalizing plans to restore the All-Star Game in Atlanta and Randle sounded like he expected to be there.
“It will be great to be a part of it,” said Randle.
As previously written here, Randle should be viewed under a new lens – not as a trading bait, but as a rising star to be embraced. He set the tone on Wednesday as captains do.
The Nets have their three future Hall-of-Famers in James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
And the Nets have owned the TV ratings since Harden’s debut on Jan. 16, outperforming the Knicks 10 percent in viewership in the New York market, according to industry sources.
For now, the Knicks have Randle, who has never been on a winning team and has lost a ton of games in his previous six seasons.
In his seventh season, Randle is the main reason the Knicks have had 10 wins. In its seventh season, Randle looks like a winner.