Julius Randle, R.J. Barrett Impress Fans in Knicks' Win Over D'Angelo Russell, Lakers
The New York Knicks had been stuck in a rut with star point guard Jalen Brunson sidelined by a foot injury, but the team got its act together in Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Julius Randle and RJ Barrett stepped up to combine for 63 points to lead New York to a 112-108 road victory at Crypto.com Arena. Randle put up 33 points—25 in the first half—while Barrett had 30 points as the Knicks snapped a three-game losing streak.
New York managed to overcome a 33-point night from Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell, thanks in large part to the excellent job the team did limiting star big man Anthony Davis. The Knicks held him to 17 points on 8-of-18 shooting, though he managed to pull down 16 rebounds. Barrett was particularly important down the stretch, scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter to help close things out.
NBA Twitter had good things to say about the Knicks, with Randle and Barrett earning the spotlight for their strong efforts on Sunday:
Prior to their three-game skid, the Knicks had put together a nine-game win streak. New York has the tools to be a dangerous postseason team, but the Knicks will need Brunson to get healthy so they can get back to full strength for the playoffs.
The Knicks (40-30) will look to build on the momentum from Sunday when they return to action on Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers, which is the final matchup of a four-game road trip.
