Getty Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks reacts after his shot.
The New York Knicks‘ feel-good win in game 4, which gave them a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, was marred by Julius Randle’s worst game of the season and his no-show in the postgame media availability.
“That was disappointing,” NBA legend Charles Barkley said on “Inside the NBA,” referring to Randle skipping his media availability. “I like Julius Randle–he’s a very good player and a nice kid, but I hate players who only speak to the media when things are going good. It doesn’t work like that.”
“And what disappoints me the most, his team actually won. First of all, he was not playing well, but you don’t get to talk to the player just when things are going good. But also, if your team won a game, you’re supposed to be happy y’all won the game. I mean, that’s very disappointing from a hell of a player who’s a good dude,” he added.
Randle had a series-low seven points, the fewest he’s scored this season when playing above 20 minutes, as he struggled from the field, going 3-for-10 overall and 0-of-4 from deep. His two rebounds also tied a season-low.
New York coach Tom Thibodeau benched Randle for the entire fourth quarter. His backup, Obi Toppin, stepped up with five rebounds and two points during the Knicks’ breakaway.
Stephen A. Smith, Kendrick Perkins Criticizes Julius Randle
Lifelong Knicks fan and “First Take” mainstay Stephen A. Smith commended Thibodeau for his gusty decision to bench the two-time All-Star in a crucial playoff game.
“I love Tom Thibodeau for benching Julius Randle because that’s what needed to happen,” Smith said on ESPN’s postgame show.
Smith and Kendrick Perkins also blasted Randle on the April 24 episode of “First Take” for skipping the postgame media availability.
“For Tom Thibodeau to bench him was a big deal because that is due and for Julius Randle to walk out and not talk to the media after that, bro I ain’t say you are but that move right there was weak,” Smith said. “They won the game. You cannot do that. That’s really weird.”
Perkins agreed and referenced Draymond Green’s selfless act to accept coming off the bench for the defending champion Golden State Warriors in their series-tying Game 4 win.
“And just real quick, Draymond Green, let me applaud him because he actually set the ball and did a teaching moment [Sunday] night when he talked about him coming off the bench and the sense of entitlement,” Perkins said. “That’s the true definition of losing yourself in the team. When you got a team goal is bigger than one individual. And I agree with you on this, Stephen A., Julius Randle, you can’t do that. You cannot not do that.”
Tom Thibodeau, Jalen Brunson Stand by Julius Randle
Thibodeau defended Randle for his poor showing, pointing out his recent ankle injury as the culprit.
“Julius is our horse,” Thibodeau told reporters after pulling out the win despite Randle’s shooting woes. “He’s given us everything that he has. A lot of guys wouldn’t probably even play. So I knew that with a quick turnaround, it probably impacted him more than most players. He was out for an extended amount of time.”
“So, we got multiple days here before the next game,” Thibodeau added. “He’ll get a chance to get some recovery time, but I think that’s a big part of it. The thing I love about him is he gives you everything he has. So he’s done that to come back the way he did, to be ready for game one—credit to him. And we need him. He’s our horse. We know that.”
Jalen Brunson, who is carrying the scoring and playmaking cudgels in the series, also has Randle’s back.
“Julius] has been a leader since the day I came here,” Brunson told reporters after the game. “What he’s able to do while he’s either on or off the floor has been incredible. He’s been special. All he wants to do is win, and when he has that mindset, it’s just very contagious. So he’s been a leader, and we always got his back. He wants nothing else but to win.”