Knicks’ Julius Randle responds to being benched in significant Game 4 win
In a move that ultimately helped New York secure the 102-93 Game 4 win over the Cavaliers on Sunday, Tom Thibodeau benched Julius Randle in the fourth quarter. Randle’s shot selection was poor and he seemed like he’d rather be doing anything else than play defense, so Thibodeau surprisingly kept him out for the final 12 minutes and let Obi Toppin shine.
Many people speculated that Randle’s sprained ankle that he suffered on March 29 in a regular season win over the Heat was still bothering him. After the game, Thibodeau didn’t go into detail, but he made it clear that Randle wasn’t at 100 percent. The media didn’t get the chance to talk to Randle himself, as when they were allowed to enter the locker room, Randle had already left.
On Tuesday, Randle spoke to reporters for the first time since the game and addressed missing the final quarter.
Knicks’ Julius Randle says Game 4 benching was “Thibs’ decision”
Julius Randle didn’t have much to say, but he did emphasize that New York won the game and that it was Tom Thibodeau’s decision to bench him. However, when asked about his effort on the defensive end that caused fans to call for Thibodeau to bench him, Randle said only eight words:
"“That’s for you to judge,” he said. “I don’t know.”"
If Randle is hoping to leave the past in the past, that’s one way to do it. He practiced fully on Tuesday before the Knicks flew to Cleveland for Game 5, and although he hasn’t looked like himself in the first four playoff games, maybe fans will see a different effort from Randle on Wednesday.
RJ Barrett struggled offensively in Games 1 and 2 before bursting onto the scene in Games 3 and 4, so perhaps the same will happen with Randle. If his ankle is still affecting him enough to hinder his effort on the floor, though, he shouldn’t be playing. That’s the bottom line. Let’s see how things will go later tonight.
