Julius Randle fouled out: Knicks star frustrated after ‘tough’ calls in Game 4 vs. Heat
Randle #Randle
The New York Knicks find themselves on the brink of elimination after a 109-101 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 4.
It was a frustrating night for the Knicks, who battled foul trouble throughout the contest. Both Julius Randle and Josh Hart fouled out, while Jalen Brunson came close, racking up five fouls.
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“That was tough,” Randle said postgame. “As far as officiating that’s one of the toughest games I’ve been a part of.
“Usually the physicality in the playoffs is up. I had six fouls and maybe four of them were offensive fouls or five, that’s never happened in my career, so that’s tough.”
Randle fouls out late in fourth quarter vs. Heat
The hammer blow for Randle came with 3:08 remaining in the fourth quarter with the Knicks trailing by seven points. As he barreled his way to the rim, Heat guard Max Strus was right there to meet him, drawing the charge and ending Randle’s night early.
Postgame, Strus told reporters he knew exactly what he was doing, noting that Randle was on the verge of fouling out.
“Absolutely,” Strus said of trying to get Randle out of the game.
“I just saw the opportunity present itself, he put his head down and I was there, I just thought it would be a good idea to take a charge.”
While the Knicks left the arena frustrated by the foul count, the Heat simply outhustled and outworked the Knicks, chasing down loose balls, fighting for offensive rebounds and making the extra effort at every turn — a point Randle acknowledged postgame.
“Maybe they want it more. I don’t know,” he added.
“That’s who we’ve been all year and we’ve gotta find a way to step up and make those plays if we want to keep this season alive.”
The Heat outrebounded the Knicks 44-35 and 13-8 on the offensive glass, attempting nine more field goals on the night.
Randle finished the game with 20 points and nine rebounds in 39 minutes, while Jalen Brunson scored a team-high 32 points and 11 assists.
Jimmy Butler puts Heat one step closer to advancing
The Knicks had no answer for Jimmy Butler, who continued his strong postseason form. He led the Heat with 27 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, two steals, and two blocks, while Bam Adebayo added 23 points and 13 rebounds.
Butler also added a bit of Heat history to his resume, tying Dwyane Wade for the most 25-point, 10-assist playoff games in franchise history (5), per ESPN Stats & Info.
The series now shifts back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5, with the Knicks facing a win-or-go-home game scenario. But history is not on their side.
Per ESPN, The Heat are 14-0 in the playoffs when leading 3-1, while the Knicks are 0-14 when trailing a best-of-seven series.
Game 5 is set for Wednesday, May 10 at Madison Square Garden, with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. ET.