Julius Randle takes hard fall late in ugly Knicks loss to Cavs
Randle #Randle
Julius Randle took a hard tumble to the court late on Tuesday but appeared to avoid injury in a blowout New York Knicks loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Knicks All-Star attacked the basket on a transition dunk late in the fourth quarter and fell on his backside after a block attempt by a trailing Jarrett Allen. Randle immediately clutched his back in obvious pain on the baseline. He was eventually able to stand up and walk of the court before leaving to the Knicks locker room prior to the conclusion of the 107-90 Cleveland win. Allen was whistled for a flagrant foul on the play.
Randle told reporters after the game that his back is fine. But the play dropped an emphatic thud on what was already a rough night for the Knicks.
New York won Game 1 in Cleveland, sparking hope that the Knicks could secure their first postseason series win since 2013. The Cavaliers answered in dominant fashion on Tuesday in a 17-point win that wasn’t as close as the final margin.
Why was Randle still in the game?
After the game, head coach Tom Thibodeau explained why Randle was still playing in a 21-point game with less than 3 minutes remaining.
“I actually was gonna sub Julius out,” Thibodeau said. “He wanted to stay in for a couple of more possessions just to find rhythm.”
Randle, meanwhile, addressed Allen’s foul.
“Thought it was a little unnecessary,” he told reporters. … “Typically when you make those type of plays you go across their body, not through them. But it’s fine. It’s irrelevant. We’ll go back to the Garden, and see him there.”
The game was tight through one quarter as a late Caris LeVert 3-pointer gave Cleveland a 25-22 edge heading into the second. But Cleveland took over in the second, sparked by a ball-hawking defense and red-hot Darius Garland.
The Cavaliers outscored the Knicks, 34-17 in the second quarter while repeatedly forcing and taking advantage of Knicks turnovers. Knicks ball handlers struggled to find passing lanes, and the Cavaliers converted New York’s struggles into points on the other end.
By halftime, Cleveland had converted 14 Knicks turnovers into 27 points. Garland was the biggest beneficiary, scoring from inside and out en route to 26 first-half points. He cooled down after halftime and finished with 32 alongside 7 assists. But the game was virtually over at the break thanks to a 59-39 Cavaliers lead.
Cleveland extended its lead to as much as 29 points midway through the fourth quarter. Only a 14-4 garbage-time Knicks run cut the deficit to the game’s final 17-point margin.
Cavs dominate box score
The Cavaliers controlled the game by most statistical measures. They outshot the Knicks from the field (49.4% to 36.7%) and 3-point territory (42.4% to 24.1%) and won the rebounding margin, 43-36. They moved the ball better while posting 26 assists to New York’s 16.
Cleveland’s front-line tandem of Allen (9 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals) and Defensive Player of the Year finalist Evan Mobley (13 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals) controlled the post while Garland and Donovan Mitchell (17 points, 13 assists) thrived on the perimeter.
LeVert took over for benched starter Isaac Okoro (3 minutes) and posted 24 points in 40 minutes while shooting 4 of 9 from 3-point distance. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the game that the call “wasn’t a long-term decision for Isaac” and that prioritizing LeVert on Tuesday was “what’s best for the group.”
The Knicks fixed their first-half turnover woes, committing just 3 after halftime. But it didn’t matter much as Cleveland continued to challenge shots and limit New York’s efficiency. Randle led the Knicks with 22 points and 8 rebounds while shooting 8 of 20 from the floor. Jalen Brunson tallied 20 points and six assists while shooting 5 of 17. R.J. Barrett shot 4 of 13 from the field en route to 14 points.
Despite the disappointing effort, the Knicks return to Madison Square Garden with home-court advantage in a series tied at 1-1. They’ll do so having apparently escaped an injury scare involving their best player. Game 3 is scheduled for Friday night.