Thriving Knick Julius Randle Apologizes for Technical Fouls, ‘Selfish Relapse’
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Julius Randle saw his dominance cut short on Sunday but has been an undeniable spark in the New York Knicks recent dominance.
The New York Knicks won’t like when Julius Randle is angry.
Alas, that prophecy came to pass on Sunday evening, when Randle was ejected from the Knicks’ 112-99 win over the Sacramento Kings, the sentence for the charge of two technical fouls.
Thus ended a dominant evening for Randle and a streak of 30-point games, as he departed with 27 points, all scored in the first half as the Knicks built a lasting lead against Sacramento. Knicks management and teammates spoke for Randle in the immediate aftermath … their comments centering on rue and regret … but the team’s leading scorer addressed things directly as the team prepared for a doubleheader against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. MSG/ESPN).
“I had a relapse,” Randle admitted, per the New York Post. “I don’t want to talk about what happened, and whether it was right or wrong. Regardless, I can’t put my teammates in that situation and that was selfish of me. I got to be better.”
While Sunday’s officials removed Randle from the available roster, he has made a mark on the Knicks’ fortunes that’s harder to erase: as New York (14-13) has gotten back above the winning mark of .500 with four consecutive double-figure victories, Randle has averaged 28 points and 10.3 rebounds in the triumphant span. It’s been enough for some to claim that Randle has officially regained dominant form in display during the Knicks’ 2020-21 postseason run that yielded both his first All-Star appearance and the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.
Randle’s temper, however, has been a recurring issue in the metropolitan basketball realm, having been charged with 33 technical fouls since his Manhattan entry four years prior. In assuming responsibility for Sunday’s incident, brought about by a physical defensive encounter with Harrison Barnes and Domantas Sabonis, Randle acknowledged the challenges officials face on a nightly basis, which has encouraged him to keep his anger in check. Randle has three technicals on his ledger so far this season.
“I don’t want any beef or confrontation with officials. I could never do their job,” Randle said, per The Post. “Dealing with us as players, it’s like I’ve said I could never coach. It’s a lot to deal with. I understand they can’t get every play right.”
“I’m a passionate player. I play with a lot of emotion, a lot of drive. Sometimes it gets the best of me. But that was a conscious thing going into the summer to try to limit that.”
Randle has leaped to the top of the Knicks’ scoring charts over the past few weeks and the value of his points has never been more apparent: the Knicks are 5-0 when Randle hits at least 30 and 8-2 at the 25-point mark. His current average of 22.3 is second-best of his career behind the aforementioned 2020-21 campaign and he’s also taking much better care of the ball: he’s averaging only 2.6 turnovers per game, his lowest since 2017-18, his last year with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Speaking of his final games in yellow-and-purple, Randle told The Post he physically feels his best since that fourth professional season. The Knicks’ stifling defense, one that has allowed just over 92 points during their streak, sure isn’t hurting Randle psyche either.
“I just feel like we’re in a better flow, rhythm. The game is a lot easier when you’re not taking the ball out of the basket,” he said. “Whatever is asked of me, whatever the play is in the moment on any side of the floor, (I’m) just trying to make plays and help out as much as I can.”
New York and Chicago will do battle again on Friday night, part of a three-game road trip that will hit Indiana over the weekend.