Knicks' Tom Thibodeau explains sitting Julius Randle for Game 4's fourth quarter: 'He’s given us everything that he has'
The fourth quarter of Sunday’s Game 4 win by the Knicks over the Cleveland Cavaliers was quite the scene. After seeing a 15-point lead get cut down to just two points by the end of the third, the Knicks stormed back to ignite one of the most raucous crowds you’ll ever hear, as the Madison Square Garden faithful loved every second of the way the Knicks closed out a dramatic win to go up 3-1 in the series.
Jalen Brunson was knocking down threes. RJ Barrett was hitting tough fadeaways. Josh Hart was grabbing key rebounds and going end-to-end.
But there was also one strange element as well: Julius Randle watching the entire quarter from the bench.
It was a tough day for the veteran forward, as he shot just 3-of-10 from the floor and 0-of-4 from three for just seven points and two rebounds. He was a -2 overall, and just didn’t look like himself, often settling for outside jumpers rather than going strong to the basket in his typical physical style.
On the other side of the floor, there was a stretch in the third quarter when Randle was rotating slowly. Though he also blocked Donovan Mitchell’s dunk attempt in the third. The Knicks were outscored by 11 in a 15-minute stretch that ended late in the third quarter. A 13-point lead was cut to two. Randle was on the court for all of it.
So Tom Thibodeau made the call to sit Randle for all of the fourth.
“We were searching and we knew this game was going to be a challenge because of the turnaround,” Thibodeau said after the game when asked about the fourth quarter. “So the late game on Friday, turnaround, early start today, and find a way to win. That group got going so at some point you make a decision – probably around the 5-minute mark, 6-minute mark and rode that out. So those guys built the lead."
“Obviously, (you do) whatever you think gives the team the best chance to win, that’s what your gonna do. That being said, there are a number of guys who are sacrificing and putting the team first. So I think that’s critical.”
Thibodeau’s decision worked well. The Knicks outscored Cleveland by seven in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks’ lineup of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin & Isaiah Hartenstein outscored Cavs, 12-4, in a 3-minute span of fourth quarter that ended at 5:21. Thibodeau stuck with Toppin for the rest of the game (outside of the final minute). Toppin rewarded the decision with hustle plays, grabbing two offensive rebounds and five in total in the decisive fourth quarter.
While Thibodeau acknowledged that he kept Randle on the bench because it was best for the team, he also praised Randle for rushing to return from an ankle sprain in time to play Game 1 of the series. Thibodeau suggested that Randle is still not at full strength after the injury.
So Tom Thibodeau made the call to sit Randle for all of the fourth, as Obi Toppin, who played 20 minutes, played the majority of the quarter while providing terrific energy.
After the game, though, the Knicks head coach did nothing but praise Randle for how hard he worked to even be in this position after springing his left ankle on March 29 against Miami. Just two-and-a-half weeks later, seemingly against all odds, Randle was ready for the start of the Cavs series.
“Look, Julius is our horse. He’s given us everything that he has,” Thibodeau said. “A lot of guys probably wouldn’t even being playing. So I know that the quick turnaround would probably impact him more than most players. He was out an extended amount of time. We’ve got multiple days here before the next game, so he’ll get a chance to get some recovery time, but I think that’s a big part of it. But the thing I love about him is he gives you everything he has. He’s done that. To come back the way he did, to be ready for Game 1, credit to him. And we need him, he’s our horse.”
Randle, an All-Star in two of his three seasons as a Knick, averaged a career-best 25.1 points per game in the regular season, but he’s averaged just 14.8 points per contest during the playoffs, including just 9.0 points per game in Games 3 and 4.
Still, Thibodeau is impressed with how Randle has gutted it out just to get back on the floor and play for his teammates.
“The thing is, he had to work around the clock to get back. That’s what I love about Julius,” Thibodeau said. “He gives you everything he has. Seventy-seven games, he sprains his ankle and then works like crazy to get back, knowing how important he is to the team to get back to get ready to play. He pushed, and our medical people did a great job, but that’s all him. He was working around the clock on that, and he still is. That’s the challenge that we have, that’s what I respect about him, and we’ve just got to get ready for our next game.”
