Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson deliver huge games as Knicks hold off Lakers
Knicks forward Julius Randle, right, dribbles against Lakers forward Anthony Davis during the second half of an NBA game Monday in Los Angeles. Credit: AP/Ryan Sun
LOS ANGELES — The Knicks were already acclimating to life without Mitchell Robinson when Jericho Sims, inserted as the starting center, was injured in the opening moments of the game Monday night. Taj Gibson, signed just days earlier, was inserted and dove for a loose ball, came up limping and headed to the bench.
But on the last stop of their four-game West Coast trip, the Knicks did not put out a help wanted sign — even with Blake Griffin sitting courtside. Asked before the game if he thought that the Knicks had the pieces already on the roster to be where they want to be, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said: “Always. I always think we could do better and I always think we have more than enough.”
What the Knicks had was Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson, who at times, even with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the other side, looked like the best players on the floor. When James misfired on a three, Immanuel Quickley grabbed the rebound and fired it downcourt to Randle, who stood all alone and slammed in a dunk for an exclamation point on what had been a stellar night, securing a 114-109 win over the Lakers.
On a night when the Lakers raised the banner for the In-Season tournament title, the Knicks were satisfied to take a much-needed regular season victory. The win gave the Knicks a 2-2 record on the West Coast trip with one more road game left in Brooklyn on Wednesday before they play at home again.
Randle had 27 points and 14 rebounds in 43 minutes of action and Brunson had 29 points, both hitting big shots to help the Knicks pull this game out. Isaiah Hartenstein, stretched to 39 minutes with little help in the middle, grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds.
James and Davis were both questionable almost until game time, but were in the lineup and carried their team much of the night. James had a triple double with 25 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds and Davis had 32 points and 14 rebounds.
“It’s [expletive] incredible,” Randle said in the morning of James' play at his age. “It’s inspiring, for sure.”
It wasn’t without some jitters. RJ Barrett lost control of the ball and was tied up, leading to a jump ball against his former Knicks — and Duke — teammate, Cam Reddish. Barrett got a hand on the jump ball, but Davis grabbed the ball and fired ahead to James, who will turn 39 later this month but still outraced the defense and threw down a thunderous dunk, igniting the crypt.com Arena crowd and sending the Knicks to a timeout with 3:39 remaining and New York clinging to a four-point lead.
But out of the timeout, after nearly turning the ball over, Randle buried a corner three and the lead was back up to seven. The Knicks kept the Lakers at arm's length until Davis buried a three-point field goal with 14.4 seconds left to cut the gap to three. Josh Hart was fouled and after a review for a clear path foul, It was ruled that it was, Hart hit both free throws and the Knicks got the ball out of bounds
The Knicks built a 57-50 lead, but over the final 1:07 of the half, the Lakers ran off eight straight points to take a one-point lead into the intermission. The Knicks, already shorthanded without Mitchell Robinson, saw Sims ruled out after just 3:28, suffering a sprained right ankle that ended his night.
Sims had turned his ankle on the opening tip, landing on the foot of Davis, and tried to play through it. But once he got two quick fouls and he sat, the ankle swelled up and he was done.
The injury to Sims meant that Gibson, added to the team just three days earlier, was pressed into action for the third straight game. And Randle was called upon to give more — playing the first 19:21 of the game — piling up 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
Hartenstein started the second half and the troubles continued with James scoring five straight points to make it a 13-0 run for the Lakers before Donte DiVincenzo connected on a three-pointer.
But with Thibodeau shuffling lineups, searching for combinations that fit and worked, the Knicks turned the game back in their favor in the third quarter. Following that 5-0 start, the Knicks outscored the Lakers 33-17 over the remainder of the period to build a 90-80 lead entering the fourth quarter.
With Robinson sidelined for months, Sims now injured and Gibson looking gimpy after diving for a loose ball, the Knicks may have to continue searching for help at center. Randle was asked in the morning if he was open to playing the position in a small-ball lineup.
“Nah, it don’t bother me,” he said. “I’ve played it before in my career, had success with it. It don’t bother me. It’s just what Thibs, the coaches, feel is best for the team.”
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.
