On Tuesday morning, theNew York Knicks learned that power forward Julius Randle would be available for their evening game against the Indiana Pacers after being placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
Julius Randle has been cleared from health and safety protocols. He will be listed as questionable (return to play reconditioning) for tonight’s game.
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) January 4, 2022
Randle has missed the last two games, in which his team has lost in both by 15 points. Against the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York was unable to crack 80 points, as the starting team shot just 19.5% from three-point range over 41 attempts. They allowed Oklahoma City to connect on 41.9%, recording 95 points.
Against the Toronto Raptors, the Knicks were simply outmatched once again, allowing 120 points and showcasing inept defense. While Evan Fournier and RJ Barrett combined for 39 points and Obi Toppin posted a career-high 19, they simply were unable to stop Fred VanVleet and Toronto’s starting five.
However, the return of Randle will provide a commanding presence, which has been realized over the past few days, given his absence.
Randle is averaging 19.3 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists this season per game. While some of his statistical outputs have regressed compared to his All-Star performance last year, he is still an important player and one that opens up opportunities for his teammates to capitalize.
Julius is listed as questionable for tonight’s game, but the hope is that he can play and shake off any conditioning issues leftover from Covid. The Knicks are looking to crack a two-game losing streak against a dampened Pacers squad who have lost four straight games.