Getty Julius Randle shoots the ball over John Collins during Game One of the first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.
The New York Knicks expected to be tested in their first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, and they were, resulting in a Game One loss, 107-105.
A poor shooting performance all around, and a last-minute floater from Trae Young sealed the loss.
New York’s starting five combined to shoot 19-for-53 from the field, good for just 36 percent.
Young’s game-winner capped off a 32-point, 10-assist playoff debut for the Hawks’ guard.
The Knicks will look to rebound in Game Two on Wednesday, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 PM est.
Randle Goes Cold
No person played a bigger part in this loss for the New York Knicks than All-Star Julius Randle.
The sixth-year forward made just six of his 23 field goal attempts and just two of six three-point shots.
When asked about his poor shooting night after the game (via the New York Daily News), Randle was candid:
I’m not making no excuses. I’ve got to be better and I will be better. I’ll just leave it at that.
This all comes after warning the Atlanta Hawks that he would make plays regardless of if they implemented double-team or triple-team coverage on defense.
Well, they did, and he didn’t.
Still, Randle didn’t seem remorseful of his shot selection in those situations, even after going one-for-five in the fourth quarter, and failing to get a shot up to tie the game as time expired:
I still liked the opportunity and shots I got. I’ll look at film and adjust. There’s no excuses. I don’t really care what they did. I just got to go back to the film. A lot of shots and looks I got I liked. But I got to figure it out and make it a little easier and adjust to the next game.
New York’s All-Star went as far as to suggest he may have “overprepared” going into the game:
I’ve got to maybe scale that back a little bit. Everything out there, I’ll be able to adjust to and then come back next game.
There were seven days between the Knicks’ season finale win over the Boston Celtics and Game One against the Hawks.
That’s a lot of time off for a team that’s earned a lot of wins off their own momentum.
No one’s arguing Julius Randle’s at his best when he’s in the swing of things.
The amounting data would agree with his sentiments as well.
Randle is Always Cold After Time Off
Fans were almost anticipating Julius Randle putting up a dud performance in Game One, based on how he’s played after extended time off in the past.
Last season, he scored just seven points on two-of-nine shooting from the field in the New York Knicks’ first game after the All-Star break.
And no one’s forgotten his seven-point, six-turnover performance from the game following this year’s All-Star break, either.
Both games were losses for New York.
He was candid about his struggles (via the New York Daily News) that night, too:
I missed a couple of shots, layups, stuff I make forever, but I’m not too worried man. From what I remember, last couple of years, first game out of the break, I don’t know why, I’m always s—–. I’ll get right back to it.
He did “get back to it,” for what it’s worth, scoring 26 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the following game.
Now, with the stakes nearly twice as high, the New York Knicks need him to make the same comeback in Game Two.
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