Julius Randle's absence hurts Knicks in Game 1 loss to Heat
Knicks forward Julius Randle reacts after being fouled by Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen during the second half of Game 2 of an NBA first-round playoff series on April 18 in Cleveland. Credit: AP/Ron Schwane
It was hours before game time and Julius Randle was on the court at Madison Square Garden. With associate head coach Johnnie Bryant directing him, he was running through shooting drills, racing back and forth to test his sprained left ankle and his conditioning. Trainers were perched behind Randle, recording video with the camera focused on his ankle. Drenched in sweat and gasping at times, he then convened with Knicks trainers and medical staff — and was ruled out for Game 1 of the series.
His absence was notable as the Knicks struggled through a sloppy offensive effort and fell to the Miami Heat, 108-101.
“I don’t know how close [Randle was],” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I just trust him and the medical staff to make that decision. So plan both ways: a plan with him going and a plan if he didn’t go. So once they make a decision, that’s it. You live with it and you got to figure it out. We have more than enough.”
“I think everybody just has to step up their level of play,” said Quentin Grimes, who returned from a right shoulder contusion that had sidelined him for two games. “Not one person is going to come in and just make up for everything that he does. So we had to come in collectively as a unit. Everybody was stepping up the whole series last week when I went out, but I felt like today [Miami] kind of got the upper hand on us.”
Obi Toppin got the start in Randle’s place, and though he had 18 points and eight rebounds, he sat out the final 9:38 of the game, exiting with the Knicks down by nine.
“We didn’t know exactly how Ju was feeling,” Toppin said. “So, like, in my head, I thought I was starting the whole time.”
Asked if he was surprised that he didn’t get back in with the offense struggling, Toppin said, “Not at all, no.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
