Knicks followers left little doubt about their emotions for Julius Randle.
A well-recognized roar stuffed Madison Sq. Backyard as Randle was launched throughout Friday evening’s pregame beginning lineups, although this time, the facility ahead was suiting up for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It was a unanimous — and loud — cheer for a participant who as soon as helped flip the Knicks round.
Friday marked Randle’s first recreation on the Backyard for the reason that Knicks traded him and guard Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota within the October blockbuster that introduced again celebrity heart Karl-Anthony Cities.
Randle performed a secondary function within the Timberwolves’ 116-99 win, taking a backseat within the highlight as Anthony Edwards dazzled with 36 factors, 13 rebounds and 7 assists.
The 30-year-old Randle completed with eight factors on 2-of-6 taking pictures, seven rebounds and 6 assists. He was the one participant from the late-offseason commerce to play Friday, as Cities (sprained thumb) and DiVincenzo (sprained toe) have been each inactive.
The evening obtained off to a pleasant begin for Randle, who corralled an offensive rebound on Minnesota’s opening possession, then earned an help on a Mike Conley 3-pointer.
However Randle, who was defended by OG Anunoby, tried just one shot within the first quarter — an air-balled 3-point try greater than eight minutes into the sport — and didn’t rating till he made a pair of free throws with 7:21 left within the second interval.
His first basket didn’t come till the two:35 mark of the third quarter. He added a dunk with 1:13 left within the fourth quarter for good measure.
5 of Randle’s six assists have been on 3-pointers. The Timberwolves completed 22-40 (55.0%) from 3-point vary because the Knicks’ perimeter protection faltered once more.
“I’ve got nothing but a lot of admiration for Julius for what we’ve asked him to do,” Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch stated earlier than Friday’s recreation.
“We’ve asked him to score. We’ve asked him to play-make. We’ve asked him to guard in a lot of different situations. His biggest contribution for us has been doing all of that.”
Randle joined the Knicks in 2019, signing a three-year, $63 million contract throughout the identical summer season Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving spurned them for the Nets.
On the time, the Knicks had endured six consecutive shedding seasons, together with a 17-win marketing campaign in 2018-19 that matched the worst report in franchise historical past.
However Randle helped the Knicks return to relevancy. He averaged 22.6 factors, 9.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists per recreation and earned three All-Star picks in his 5 seasons with New York.
Nonetheless, his tenure proved polarizing.
His ball dominance pissed off at instances, and in 2022, he infamously flashed a thumbs-down gesture to Knicks followers who had been booing on the Backyard.
His statistics dipped throughout his two postseasons with the Knicks, and he didn’t play throughout their run to Recreation 7 of the Japanese Convention semifinals final yr resulting from a season-ending shoulder harm.
A contract extension didn’t come this summer season, and with the Knicks in want of a middle, they swung the commerce for Cities, a four-time All-Star, lower than three weeks earlier than the beginning of the common season.
The deal has been a win for the Knicks (27-16), even when their lack of post-trade depth has loomed giant throughout their present 3-6 skid. Cities is averaging 25.4 factors and 13.9 rebounds per recreation, thriving as a pick-and-roll companion for Jalen Brunson whereas delivering career-best taking pictures numbers.
The brand new-look Wolves, in the meantime, are off to a disappointing 22-19 begin, with their work-in-progress chemistry contributing to their inconsistency. Randle entered Friday averaging 19.5 factors (on 47.8% taking pictures), 7.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per recreation.
Minnesota visited the Backyard for a preseason recreation shortly after the commerce, however Randle didn’t play. He and DiVincenzo did, nevertheless, obtain a tribute video that evening, however they didn’t get one other one Friday.
Friday’s recreation was a far cry from the primary regular-season assembly between the Knicks and Timberwolves. Final month in Minnesota, Randle led the Wolves with 24 factors — together with 15 within the first quarter — in a 133-107 loss.
After that recreation, Randle beelined to the Timberwolves’ locker room, then left the Goal Middle with out addressing the media.
On Friday, Randle shared just a few fast hugs with the Knicks after his Wolves’ win.
“He had a great run and helped lift the team up,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau stated of Randle. “He not only excelled individually, but the team excelled while he was here. He did a terrific job for us.”
Initially Printed: January 17, 2025 at 10:02 PM EST
