Julius Randle scored another triple-double, but allowed a big 3 and missed a big 2.
On his first trip to the Barclays Center, when his teammates had to stop him from facing referee Scott Foster after a controversial finish on March 15, Randle recorded 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists. But, like last time, the Knicks lost to the Nets under control, despite their best player owning the ball with a chance to equalize.
“I look great – something I practice every day,” Randle said after missing the final shot in a 114-112 loss. “I felt good that I got out of my hands and didn’t come in.”
Three weeks ago, the Nets went 115-112 when Randle was called to travel. The replays showed Kyrie Irving weakening the ball when Randle rose to a 3. But Randle never lost possession of the ball and officials decided it was a trip when he came down with the ball. Two teammates prevented him from following Foster after the final buzzer, but did not overturn a chair as he walked back to the locker room.
There was no whistle on Monday, and Randle said the sequence wasn’t fresh in his mind. Only a horn sounded as his 18-foot shot on Jeff Green clung to the back edge.
In a timeout, the Knicks drew Randle by falsifying a screen and curving freely outside the arc for the Alec Burks pass.
“The last piece has three different options and obviously he’s the focal point,” said coach Tom Thibodeau. “She has two other readings she can go to. I thought he looked good on it. ”
The Knicks squandered a 13-point lead in the third quarter, Irving scoring 40 to lead the comeback. One of Irving’s biggest baskets, to open a 100-94 lead, was a 3-step back from a back dribble that left Randle out of position on a defensive switch.
Three minutes later, Randle and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarroot were called up for double technical errors after becoming physical.
“I don’t really know what his problem was,” Randle said. “He’s not a guy on the field that really worries me when I play. He tried to give me a little forearm or whatever, so I slapped him on me. ”
Four of Randle’s 10 career triple-doubles are in Knicks uniform, including three in the last 12 games. Only five players – all goalkeepers – have more in the history of the franchise. Statistics and close losses don’t matter much.
“It doesn’t do anything for me,” Randle said. “It is either a victory or a loss. There are no real moral victories. ”
Randle, who played with a painful thigh, grimaced in pain for the past two minutes. He kept his knee straight after a defensive comeback, but that didn’t stop him from dribbling through his legs in isolation and shooting the next possessions from the midrange. His two free throws reduced the Knicks deficit to 112-109.
“I’m fine,” Randle said. “Carefree.”