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One day after a gorgeous 30-point win in Boston, the New York Knicks found themselves locked in a butt-ugly slugfest against the Orlando Magic.
The Knicks had a decent 12-point lead headed into the fourth quarter, but Terrence Ross started to wake up, and the Knicks couldn’t hit a shot to save their lives. The Magic stormed back to take a one-point advantage, and it looked like momentum had shifted away from the good guys.
Enter Julius Randle. The Knicks’ best player had a rough game from the field, shooting just 5-19, but he got the biggest bucket of the game when it mattered most.
Randle's too strong!!! pic.twitter.com/NJ7P3i0UG4
— The Strickland (@TheStrickland) January 18, 2021
Khem Birch tried to take a dive, but the refs did not oblige. This is a big boy’s league, Khem.
The Magic attempted to come back on the next possession, but were foiled by the defense of RJ Barrett.
Another look at the clutch defense and finishing by RJ
— The Strickland (@TheStrickland) January 18, 2021
Growing up right in front of our eyes pic.twitter.com/gQ3otUOc6A
RJ was the star of the afternoon, with 22 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and several critical big boy plays.
LET'S GO RJ pic.twitter.com/z6MSprtp4q
— The Strickland (@TheStrickland) January 18, 2021
His game isn’t always pretty, but he came through when it was needed most.
The Knicks now head West with an improbable 7-8 record.
Stingy has the recap. Enjoy the rest of your day.