Knicks’ Julius Randle Gets Surprise Video Message From His Mom After First All-Star Selection

In Wednesday’s Hot Clicks: a special surprise for Julius Randle, Luka Dončić comes up in the clutch and more.

He looked so happy

Knicks forward Julius Randle got a special surprise during Tuesday’s game against the Warriors: a video message from his mom.

Earlier in the evening, Randle was named to the All-Star team for the first time. He must have been feeling pretty great after he addressed the crowd and was greeted by chants of “MVP.” (Hey, it was the first time fans were allowed in the Garden since March, so you can forgive them for getting a little carried away.)

Randle’s night got even better during a timeout in the first half, when a message from his mom started playing on the arena’s video board. He had a big grin on his face as he listened to her congratulate him on his All-Star nod.

Randle said after the game that he appreciated the gesture, especially because this past year has been particularly tough on his mom.

“That was crazy how that got hooked up and they set that up,” Randle told reporters. “It was definitely amazing. Throughout the course of this past year, it’s definitely been tough on all of us. But my mother, she hasn’t been able to leave the house; she’s a diabetic. We’ve been extra cautious with her.”

“I know this was a special night for her as well,” Randle added. “She’s been there every step of the way seeing all of the work I put in. It was amazing just to see how happy she was congratulating me.”

The best of SI

There’s a lot we don’t know about Tiger Woods’s car crash, and it’s OK to worry. ... Here’s everything we do know about Tiger’s crash thus far. ... Even though he’s not an All-Star starter, Damian Lillard deserves to be a bigger part of the MVP discussion. ... Steelers linebacker Cassius Marsh is a power player in the trading card market. ... Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich is the ultimate jack-of-all-trades.

Around the sports world

The Washington Football Team is asking for input on a new nickname to be adopted no sooner than 2022. ... Alex Smith says Washington didn’t seem to want him to come back from his leg injury. ... Henrik Lundqvist is back in net working out less than two months after open-heart surgery. ... A Czech freediver set a new world record by swimming 265 feet under ice. ... Lions coach Dan Campbell says he’s totally fine being known as a meathead.

Zach LaVine got a nice surprise from the Bulls, too

He thought he was doing a media call.

But actually, it was @ZachLaVine’s closest family & friends showing him love ❤️ pic.twitter.com/dewcv4XByC

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 24, 2021

Back-to-back absurd shots by Luka to win the game

LUKA. DONCIC. CLUTCH. pic.twitter.com/6BXV4Mzt84

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 24, 2021

“Ask your question again, I was listening to your accent”

“I like your accent, it’s tough.”

-Anthony Edwards 😂 @brhoops

(via @Timberwolves)pic.twitter.com/zDIW9HZx0h

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 24, 2021

Gotta love a bicycle kick

Worth the wait. Olivier Giroud with a spectacular finish. 🚲 pic.twitter.com/VT5ojrD2NS

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 23, 2021

Nelson Cruz wearing Miguel Sanó’s pants

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cut4 (@mlbcut4)

He’s 37 and hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2016

Scott Kazmir has agreed to a minor-league deal with the San Francisco Giants, with an invitation to big-league camp. His fastball velocity reached 92-93 mph in his most recent bullpen session.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 23, 2021

Busted!

I paid the price for this but worth it...

Morning vibes with @BringerOfRain20 #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/LZg1xT00dd

— Dustin Morse (@morsecode) February 23, 2021

2021 spring training risk: the mask tan

Phew. I don’t think anyone noticed. https://t.co/joITmqyMtV pic.twitter.com/waYtEZ9sPR

— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) February 23, 2021

Aaron Judge got new teeth over the offseason

Aaron Judge: “This is a special group we’ve got here. This is going to be a special year.” #YankeesZoomRoom pic.twitter.com/3G3sjl9Yza

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) February 23, 2021

Bartolo’s offseason softball games are a joy

The impossible has happened. Again!

Start your morning off with this Bartolo homer.

https://t.co/kB0Qv4on7B

— Cut4 (@Cut4) February 23, 2021

Not sports

No, the extinct Tasmanian tiger has not resurfaced in Australia. ... A 17,300-year-old rock painting of a kangaroo is the oldest in Australia. ... Customs seized 44 pounds of cocaine-dusted corn flakes in Cincinnati. ... A wild sheep rescued in Australia got a much-needed haircut that removed 77 pounds of wool.

It looks like a duck

This is the new next-gen USPS delivery vehicle coming to your neighborhood by 2023 pic.twitter.com/WkEd3VkHkU

— Sam Mintz (@samjmintz) February 23, 2021

What are you gonna do? Not push the button?

UVA study of students who were asked to sit alone in a room for 15 minutes. Percent who decided to give themselves a painful shock.

Men, lol (h/t @idea_soup) pic.twitter.com/v71Zsqfhzw

— Paul Millerd (@p_millerd) February 23, 2021

Timelapse of ice breaking up off of Chicago

You’ve seen RoboCop, but what about RollerCop?

A good song

Email dan.gartland@si.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.