The New York Knicks may have captured a major Game 1 win in this best-of-seven quarterfinals series to steal away home-court advantage but Game 2 proved to be a tremendous showing for the Cleveland Cavaliers where, ultimately, they managed to tie things up at two games apiece.
Of course, as expected in a highly competitive matchup, things weren’t all sunshine and rainbows, as late in the fourth period Jarrett Allen committed a rather dangerous foul on Julius Randle during a fastbreak that wound up resulting in a flagrant one penalty being assessed.
While many were quick to judge the act as hostile when asked to describe his feelings on the matter post-game, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau made it clear that he wasn’t going to jump to any strong opinions until he analyzed the tape.
“You know, it’s [the] playoffs so I’ll take a look at it. I saw a quick replay but before I comment, I want to see it,” Thibodeau said.
“Before I comment, I want to see it.”
Tom Thibodeau was asked about Jarrett Allen’s hard foul on Julius Randle:
Of course, Jarrett Allen isn’t the only one who has received criticism for his part in the late-game incident, as many have gone on to question Thibodeau’s logic of leaving his franchise big man on the floor with under three minutes remaining in regulation considering a win was already out of reach for the Knicks.
By the time of the foul, New York was already trailing by over 20 points.
Knicks Star Julius Randle Issues Statement on Flagrant Foul
THIS RANDLE DUNK 😳
Jarrett Allen was called for a flagrant 1
Though Julius Randle was not seriously injured as a result of the flagrant foul, the power forward still considered the act by Jarrett Allen to be highly unnecessary.
During his post-game media session, the Knicks star issued a statement regarding his feelings on the incident. Though he acknowledged that there likely was no malintent, Randle noted that the contact by the Cavs’ big man should not have happened.
“I thought it was a little unnecessary,” Randle said. “When you understand playoff basketball, you don’t give up on plays, and I respect that. I’m somebody who plays hard. I respect that, but typically when you make those kinds of plays, you run across their body, not through them. But it’s fine. It’s irrelevant [now]. We go back to the Garden, and we’ll see them there.”
Already coming into this series hobbled with a sprained left ankle, seeing Julius Randle plummet to the floor late in Game 2 certainly was no joyous sight for Knicks fans to see. However, as current reports suggest, no serious injury was sustained from the incident.
Regardless of the loss, Julius Randle had himself yet another impressive showing for New York, as he would finish the contest with 22 points and 8 rebounds while shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc.
Knicks Guard Immanuel Quickley Named 6MOY Finalist
On April 14, the NBA officially announced the three finalists for the 2023 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, and, unsurprisingly, Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley made the cut.
The 2022-23 finalists for Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year
The third-year pro has put forth a sensational campaign for Tom Thibodeau’s club and served as a major catalyst in their fifth-seed finish to the season.
Through 81 games played, Quickley posted impressive averages of 13.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.0 steals while shooting 44.8% from the field and 37.0% from deep.
As things currently stand, the oddsmakers seem to favor the 23-year-old to ultimately win the illustrious award.
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Tom Thibodeau Sends Message on Jarrett Allen Flagrant After Knicks Lose to Cavs