The New York Knicks have shocked many this NBA season with their impressive play after missing the postseason last year. Much of their success can be credited to the excellent play of star forward Julius Randle. He showed out in a huge way on Monday, putting up potentially the greatest game of his career.
Randle dominated from the very start of Monday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring 13 first-quarter points. He continued this pace in the second quarter, finishing the first half with 26 points.
He picked things up in a massive way in the third quarter, scoring 26 points to get to a career-high 52 points before even reaching the fourth quarter. This broke the Knicks franchise record for the most points in a single quarter.
26 IN THE THIRD for Julius Randle.@nyknicks franchise record for a quarter!
He has a CAREER-HIGH 52 POINTS… and we still have another quarter to play 🤯
You don't wanna miss this.
📺: https://t.co/1pomQZMAZK pic.twitter.com/AxA2StD7Re— NBA (@NBA) March 21, 2023
He ultimately finished the game with 57 points, which is just five points shy of the franchise record for points in a game held by Carmelo Anthony. It ultimately put him third in Knicks history behind Carmelo Anthony and Bernard King.
57 POINTS.
Julius Randle was SPECIAL tonight.He became the fourth @nyknicks player with 55+ points and the FIRST with 55+ points and 8+ threes… MIN tops NYK in a thriller at MSG. pic.twitter.com/oYdCM27ZeD
— NBA (@NBA) March 21, 2023
Unfortunately, this unbelievable performance was wasted by a horrible defensive effort by the Knicks as a whole on Monday night. They went on to lose the game 140-134 despite Randle’s dominant play.
Many took to social media to praise Julius Randle for his insane performance.
Most points by a Knicks player
62: Carmelo Anthony (2014)
60: Bernard Kings (1984)
57: JULIUS RANDLE (2023)
57: Richie Guerin (1959)
55: Bernard King (1985)Most points in a quarter
26: JULIUS RANDLE (2023)
25: Carmelo Anthony (2017) pic.twitter.com/4X8yldtCKv… https://t.co/E9xbiZYdd1— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 21, 2023
Julius Randle dropped 57. Hang his jersey lol. Don’t care about the loss.
— Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) March 21, 2023
Julius Randle scored how many tonight 👀
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) March 21, 2023
Julius Randle in 1st 3 qtrs: 52 pts
Julius Randle in 4th: 5 pts
Wolves buckled down (and he also turned back into a human being)
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) March 21, 2023
Others absolutely blasted the Knicks for being unable to win this game despite Randle’s 57-point effort.
That was such a depressing Knicks loss.
— Jake Brown (@JakeBrownRadio) March 21, 2023
Julius career high 57 points: ✅
Knicks win: ❌ pic.twitter.com/Adkxit97UI
— The Knicks Wall (@TheKnicksWall) March 21, 2023
The Knicks are wasting Julius Randle's prime.
— Wendell Ferreira (@wendellfp) March 21, 2023
Just a terrible Knicks loss. Brutal.
— Adam Schein (@AdamSchein) March 21, 2023
Randle spoke with the media after the game and discussed what it felt like to be compared to the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Bernard King.
“Those are legends in this game and pioneers specifically for this organization. They laid the groundwork and led the way for players like myself to come behind them.”
Julius Randle on having a 50-point night with the Knicks, like Bernard King and Carmelo Anthony in the past:
"Those are legends in this game and pioneers specifically for this organization, laid the groundwork and led the way for players like myself to come behind them" pic.twitter.com/8OeVwUSi0X
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) March 21, 2023
It is certainly hard not to feel for Randle after this brutal loss. The game of basketball is absolutely ruthless and an elite performance can be overshadowed by the other team playing even better.
