The Knicks pulled out two wins inside their electric home arena to seize control against the Cavaliers, albeit with their leading scorer making a barely negligible offensive contribution.
Perhaps one of the most impressive things you could say about the Knicks this weekend is they are up 3-1 in their first-round playoff series, yet Julius Randle totaled only 18 points across two games at Madison Square Garden on a combined 6-for-25 shooting.
The team’s lone All-Star missed seven of 10 field-goal attempts and scored just seven points and had two rebounds in 27 quiet minutes Sunday, while being pinned to the bench for the entirety of the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ 102-93 win in Game 4.
Randle had missed the final five games of the regular season with a sprained left ankle before returning in time for the series opener.
He totaled 41 points over 60 minutes in the two-game split in Cleveland.
“Look, Julius is our horse. He’s given us everything that he has,” Tom Thibodeau said after the game. “A lot of guys probably wouldn’t even be playing. So I knew that the quick turnaround [from Friday night] would probably impact him more than most players.
“He was out an extended amount of time. We’ve got multiple days here before the next game [Wednesday in Cleveland] where we’ll get a chance to get some recovery time. The thing I love about him is he gives you everything he has. He’s done that. To come back the way he did, be ready for Game 1. Credit to him. We need it, he’s our horse. You know that.”
The Knicks did not bring Randle into the postgame interview room, and he was dressed and gone from the locker room when it opened to the media.
Thibodeau went with Obi Toppin at power forward until the closing seconds of the fourth, alongside Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett and Josh Hart, with centers Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson sharing time, to close out the game.
“We were searching and we knew this game was going to be a challenge because of the turnaround. So the late game on Friday, turnaround, early start today, and find a way to win,” Thibodeau said. “That group got going, so at some point you make a decision — probably around the five-minute mark, six-minute mark and rode that out.
“So those guys built the lead. Obviously whatever you think gives the team the best chance to win, that’s what you’re gonna do. That being said, there are a number of guys who are sacrificing and putting the team first. So I think that’s critical.”
Randle also struggled offensively in the Knicks’ five-game playoff loss to the Hawks in 2021, posting a .298 field-goal percentage and .333 from 3-point range.
Still, the Knicks clearly are better equipped to cover for an off-night from their leading scorer this time around.
“It says a lot,” Hartenstein said. “There’s been a lot of games where we count on Julius a lot. So but I think in general if anyone has maybe a little less shooting night, someone can step up.
“That’s what makes this special I think. No matter who’s playing, we have someone that can step up.”