Dec 25, 2022; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) dribbles up court against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
New York Knicks forward Julius Randle showed out in the Christmas Day matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, stuffing the stat sheet with:
However, the Knicks were unable to secure a second consecutive Christmas Day victory, as they fell to the 76ers 119-112 thanks to a fourth-quarter collapse by New York. This is now the Knicks’ third consecutive loss after winning the previous eight prior to this past Wednesday, falling to 18-16 on the season.
Despite the lackluster team results, Julius Randle has been superb as of late, and he is making his case for another All-Star appearance stronger by the day.
Randle’s latest performance marks the fourth time in his last five games that he scored at least 25 points, and he has scored at least 29 points in three straight games.
During that five-game stretch, Randle’s efficiency from the field has skyrocketed, as he is shooting 52.2%. This is just a small chunk of the phenomenal month Randle has been having, as entering Christmas Day, he was averaging 26.7 PPG in 12 games in the month of December.
He’s been shooting the ball outside the arc with tremendous confidence and using his size to overpower defenders on the interior, which has been a huge factor into the Knicks’ 8-3 record this month.
For the Knicks, they are going to be counting on Randle to help snap the losing skid they are currently on. New York’s next matchup is on the road against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
The last time the Knicks played the Mavericks was December 3rd, when New York had easily its worst performance of the season, surrendering a second-half lead and losing by 21 points. The implosion prompted head coach Tom Thibodeau to make the rotation change he has stuck with ever since.
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This post was published on 2022-12-26 10:17
