The New York Knicks were able to protect their home court over the weekend against the Cleveland Cavaliers. That gave them a commanding 3-1 lead in their first-round NBA playoff series, which will head back to Cleveland for Game 5 on Wednesday night.
What made the 102-93 victory for the Knicks on Sunday afternoon so impressive was how it was done. Starting shooting guard Quentin Grimes suffered a shoulder injury late in the second quarter of Game 3 and was out of the lineup. All-Star forward Julius Randle is also battling through an ankle injury, which seemed to have flared up on Sunday.
Randle played only 27 minutes in the game and didn’t play a single minute in the fourth quarter. His shot was not falling as he went 3-of-10 from the field and 0-for-4 on 3-point attempts. He struggled to get into a rhythm offensively, which head coach Tom Thibodeau attributed to the ankle injury that he is fighting through.
“Julius is our horse,” Thibodeau said. “And he’s given us everything that he has. A lot of guys probably wouldn’t even be playing. So I knew that with the quick turnaround, probably impact him more than most players.
“He was out an extended amount of time. So we got multiple days here before the next game, he’ll get a chance to get some recovery time — I think that’s a big part of it. But the thing I love about him is he gives you everything he has. To come back the way he did, to be ready for Game 1, credit to him. And we need him, he’s our horse.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Julius Randle & New York Knicks Updates
Randle played in and started the first 77 games of the regular season as one of the few iron men in the league this season. But, on March 29th against the Miami Heat, he sprained his ankle coming down after a rebound. He rehabbed tirelessly to be ready to get on the court for Game 1 against the Cavaliers on April 15th.
Randle’s return looked to spur his teammates in Game 1, as they fed off his energy and tenacity. He had some solid moments in Game 2 before things crumbled for New York. But, since then, it is clear that the injury is impacting his performance, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
“The thing is, he had to work around the clock to get back,” Thibodeau said. “That’s what I love about Julius. He gives you everything that he has. There’s 77 games, he sprains his ankle, and then he works like crazy to get back, you know how important he is to the team, but to get back, to get ready to play — our medical people did a great job, but that’s all him. He was working around the clock on that, he still is. That’s the challenge that we have and that’s what I respect about him. And we just got to get ready for our next game.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Julius Randle & New York Knicks Updates
With their star struggling, the Knicks got an excellent performance from Jalen Brunson, who made a strong case to be an All-Star himself. He scored a game-high 29 points, stepping up with Randle unable to produce much on the court.
“Julius has been a leader since the day I came here,” Brunson said. “What he’s able to do while he’s either on or off the floor has been incredible, he’s been special. All he wants to do is win. And when he has that mindset, it’s very contagious. So he’s been a leader, and we always got his back. He wants nothing else but to win.”
Credit needs to be given to Obi Toppin as well. He has been Randle’s backup and many people have clamored for him to receive more playing time. His role increased when Randle went down with an ankle injury and he responded with some big games once again, just as he did at the end of the 2021-22 season.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Julius Randle & New York Knicks Updates
In the five regular season games without Randle, Toppin averaged 21.8 points, 3.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 31.5 minutes per game. His shooting split was an impressive .583/.444/.900 and registered a plus/minus ratio of +34.
In the postseason, he has continued to play well, providing a spark in his extended minutes. With Josh Hart shifting to the starting lineup because of Grimes’ injury, it has been Toppin and Isaiah Hartenstein anchoring the second unit. They are vastly outplaying the frontcourt of Cleveland and helping overcome Randle not being 100 percent.
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