Julius Randle’s 57-Point Performance Not Enough in Knicks Loss

Julius Randle recorded an incredible career-high 57 points Monday night, though it wasn't enough to save the New York Knicks from a 140-134 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden. Afterwards, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau expressed his disappointment at the outcome, observing that such a performance deserved a different result.
Randle was a force throughout the first three quarters, with the team going down by as many as 17. His 26-point third quarter put the Knicks within reach, but sadly he only managed five in the fourth.

Jalen Brunson, the Knicks guard, had words of praise for Julius Randle following his career-high performance. "He played so well," Brunson said. "He brought us back, he played unbelievable. We just got to be better as a team to help him make that career night feel like something special. But when you lose that, it kind of eliminates everything else."

Randle shot an impressive 19 for 29 from the field and 8 for 14 from beyond the arc in surpassing his personal-best tally of 46 points. He logged 37 minutes of action, making 11 of his 13 attempts from the foul line.

Had the game gone on any longer, Randle would have had a chance to topple Carmelo Anthony's franchise record of 62 points, which was recorded against the Charlotte Bobcats on January 24, 2014. Anthony's 62-point game is the highest-scoring performance ever registered at Madison Square Garden (since 1968). Other noteworthy performances include those by James Harden (2019) and Kobe Bryant (2009), who tallied 61 points each.

After scoring 60 points in the Knicks' overtime victory against the Spurs on April 10, 2021, Julius Randle was asked what it meant to him to join the likes of Anthony and King, who also achieved the same feat. Randle, humbled, expressed his admiration for the two "legends" and "pioneers" of the game, stating that he is proud to wear the Knicks' jersey and carry on their legacy.

On Monday night, the Knicks failed to make enough plays on the defensive end to come away with a win. The Timberwolves shot 61.4% from the field, which was too much for New York to overcome. In the game's dying seconds, the Knicks were unable to get the necessary stop, when Taurean Prince sunk a dunk to seal their fate. This caused a lot of frustration for Julius Randle, who was handed a technical foul for slamming the ball down in disappointment after the game. Speaking after the match, Randle conceded that his actions had been out of frustration that he had been unable to make a play to help the Knicks.

Randle is hopeful that his performance will be able to be reflected positively upon in the future. Nonetheless, the Knicks' lack of victory took away from the atmosphere in the locker room.
"I'm hoping that [I can take pride in it], Randle shared. "Still, not tonight."