March Sadness: Knicks Waste Historic Julius Randle Effort, Bit By T'Wolves
Much like Aaron Judge before him, Julius Randle was a New York chasing 62 on Monday night. Unlike the New York Yankees outfielder, however, Randle fell short ... as did the New York Knicks.
Randle put for one of the greatest offensive performances in Knicks history but that wasn't enough to avert defeat at the hands of a depleted and desperate Minnesota Timberwolves group that stole a 140-134 decision from Madison Square Garden.
The All-Star Randle put in a career-best 57 points on 19-of-29 shooting, falling just five points short of tying Carmelo Anthony's single-game metropolitan record. New York's first 50-point game since Anthony's output in 2014 tied Richie Guerin for the third-best scoring tally in Knicks history, with Bernard King's 60 in 1984 sitting in second. Though Randle fell short of Anthony's mastery against the Charlotte Bobcats, he did set a New York record for points within a single period with 26 in the third quarter.
Alas for the Knicks (42-31), denied their fourth consecutive victory (which would've been their fourth streak of at least four wins this season) a combination of a drastic lack of defense and Taurean Prince's showcase barely besting Randle's: while Prince's point total failed to best Randle's (partly helped by a 24-point, 11-assist double-double for Mike Conley), he shot a torrid 12-of-13 from the field and sank all eight of his three-point attempts, one short of the NBA record for a perfect game from deep.
To make matters all the more painful for the Knicks, Randle's tally was the first 50-point game in a losing effort in this NBA season.
Prince's onslaught energized the reeling Timberwolves (36-37) who got back in the win column after three straight losses and five in their prior six. Minnesota, which moved into eighth place in the Western Conference standings with the win (a half-game away from missing the postseason entirely but only one full game out of Play-In Tournament avoidance in sixth), was missing leading scorer Anthony Edwards for the second straight game due to an ankle injury. They got off to a brilliant start with 42 points in the opening frame, the early lead built upon the starters shooting 15-of-17 from the field in the first dozen minutes.
Though the Knicks' offense held its down end of the bargain to the tune of shooting 59 percent in the first half, Minnesota's sharpshooting spoiled history in Manhattan, allowing them to build an advantage that reached as high as 17. Sanity seemed to emerge in the third quarter as the Knicks pacified the Wolves to an 8-of-17 effort from the field while Randle's takeover commenced. The Timberwolves kept pace thanks to 15 free throw attempts but the Knicks got back into the game with Randle's shooting 5-of-6 from outside.
But Minnesota rediscovered some of its scoring prowess in the fourth, keeping pace with the Knicks while Randle rested at the start of the period. Upon his return, the Wolves double-teamed the history-seeking scorer and allowed him to get only five shots off over his last seven-plus minutes. The affair remained a one-possession game in the final minute and the Knicks had an opportunity to tie upon a Jaden McDaniels miss. But Kyle Anderson swiped the rebound away from Randle and got the ball to Conley, who found a streaking Prince for the dagger that hit the mute button on MSG.
In addition to Randle's mastery, the Knicks also failed to take advantage of a Jalen Brunson double-double at 23 points and 10 assists. Immanuel Quickley had 19 off the bench but failed to keep the scoring pace up during the Randle crackdown in the fourth, shooting 1-of-7 in the final period.
The Knicks now face a major challenge on Wednesday night when they hit the road for Floridian affairs, beginning with a trip to South Beach to face the Miami Heat (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG). While they remain in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings, the Knicks now sit an even three games above the Heat, who sit in the Play-In Tournament's top slot.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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