Over the last several seasons, when a player on the New York Knicks made franchise history, it’s rarely been good news. But on Friday night, that was a different story, thanks to Julius Randle.
New York got the second half of its season off on a good note Friday, posting a come-from-behind 115-109 victory over the Washington Wizards. Randle led the way, scoring 46 points.
Friday’s game marked the third time this season that Randle scored 40 or more points. His teammate, Jalen Brunson, has also reached 40 points three times this season.
Never in the history of the franchise have Knicks teammates had three 40-plus point games in the same season.
Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle each have 3 40-point games this season.
They are the 1st pair of teammates in Knicks history to each have 3 40-point games in the same season. pic.twitter.com/S1izUjBQlV
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 25, 2023
The Knicks have something of a checkered history. But they are a charter franchise in the NBA. And with teammates like Bernard King and Patrick Ewing, Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston, Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony and the championship-winning backcourt of Earl Monroe and Walt “Clyde” Frazier, they’ve had plenty of teammates capable of filling up a statsheet.
What’s interesting for the Knicks is that the high scoring performances of Brunson and Randle have not necesarilly led to great team success. New York is 3-3 in games when Brunson and Randle reached at least 40 points, going 1-2 in Brunson’s big scoring games and 2-1 in Randle’s.
That said, Friday night’s win, couple with a loss from the Brooklyn Nets, moved the Knicks to only one game back of their crosstown rivals for the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference.
