Julius Randle marked his 28th birthday with a season-high 36 points as the New York Knicks steamrolled over shorthanded Detroit Pistons, 140-110, Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Randle set the tone for the rout with 26 first-half points built on six triples. He started the game like a house on fire, hitting four 3s in the first four minutes. It was clear it would be Randle’s night.
After a season-low nine field goal attempts in Sunday’s loss to Memphis, Randle matched that in the opening quarter and had 17 points.
“It was what the defense gave me. I was being aggressive. I was locked in, and I got to follow it up tomorrow. …I’m getting old, and I got to cherish this game.”
Julius Randle told Clyde Frazier via MSG Network
Randle and the Knicks have less than 24 hours to revel in their 10th win of the season as they have a tough matchup waiting– Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
But on this night, Randle and the Knicks were virtually unstoppable. It was not just a Randle show, as Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, and Quentin Grimes added 16 points apiece.
It was Grimes’ best game since his return from a foot injury. He finally regained his shooting touch, sinking his first three treys, and rounded up his sterling line with six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Immanuel Quickley, questionable before the game, also came up with 15 points and four assists off the bench.
An 18-6 run in the third quarter blew the game wide open as the ball constantly moved for the Knicks. They led by as many as 32 and dished out a season-high 31 assists, with Randle and Brunson leading the way with five dimes each.
Former Knick Alec Burks, who made the Pistons competitive since his return from injury, was held scoreless after six straight games of double-digit scoring. It also marked the first time the Pistons lost by more than 10 since Burks’ season debut on Nov. 11, also against the Knicks.
New York is now 3-0 against Detroit, which missed Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey.
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