THE NEW YORK On Monday night at Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks suffered a heartbreaking 140-134 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves despite Julius Randle scoring a career-high 57 points.
After the game, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau observed, “It’s a shame to squander a performance like that.
The opening three quarters of a vulnerable exhibition in which the Knicks trailed by as much as 17 points were marked by Randle’s domination. The Knicks were able to get back into the game when Randle scored a team-high 26 points in the third quarter, but the All-Star forward was unable to lead his team to victory, scoring only five points in the fourth.
Guard for the Knicks Jalen Brunson remarked, “He performed so good. “He performed wonderful music and brought us back. To assist him make his career night seem unique, we just need to work harder as a team. But when you lose it, everything sort of loses its emotional content.”
Randle surpassed his previous career high of 46 points by shooting 19 for 29 from the field and 8 for 14 from beyond the arc. He participated for 37 minutes and converted 11 out of 13 free throw attempts.
Randle was on track to surpass Carmelo Anthony’s franchise-record 62 points, which he achieved in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats on January 24, 2014, with 52 points through three quarters. The 62 points scored by Anthony are also the most ever in a game at Madison Square Garden (since 1968). James Harden (2019) and Kobe Bryant (2009, both with 61) are the next players on that list.
Bernard King, who accomplished this feat against the New Jersey Nets on December 25, 1984, was the only other Knicks player to reach the 60-point plateau except Anthony.
The prideful big man was brief in his postgame remarks, but he did reveal a bit more when talking about what it meant to him to be able to join Anthony and King on a scoring list at Madison Square Garden.
Randle said, “They are legends in this game. “And pioneers, particularly for this group, who paved the road and paved the way for players like myself to follow in their footsteps and be allowed to play the game I love. Be able to work hard, and proudly wear your Knicks shirt.”
The Knicks’ Monday night performance was different due of a lack of defensive ferocity. The Timberwolves, who shot 61.4% from the field on Monday, almost always got to the basket.
The Knicks once again failed to make a crucial defensive stop in the game’s closing 30 seconds, allowing an offensive rebound and a Taurean Prince slam to secure the victory.
Randle received a technical foul for the irritation that had been building all night, and as he was leaving the court after the game, he continued to yell at the referee, Eric Lewis. Randle recognised that he couldn’t make the play he desired, which is why he received the technical foul after Prince’s dunk and smashing the ball to the ground.
In the future, Randle wants to be able to look back and have great thoughts about his performance. Yet, the Knicks’ inability to secure the victory soured the atmosphere in the locker room.
Randle hoped he would be able to take pleasure in it. But probably not tonight.
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