Julius Randle insisted that nothing felt different for him in Monday night's offensive explosion in comparison to the rest of his mainly disappointing season.
The reigning Most Improved Player says he always believes he is on the cusp of taking over a game.
"I always feel like that," Randle said after Monday's 46-point explosion to lead the Knicks to a comeback win over the Kings. "I put too much work in, so I always feel like that."
While Randle said nothing was different about his mindset or his shot selection, it was hard not to notice a difference in his intensity on both ends of the floor. Randle knocked down 18 of his 31 attempts from the field, and drained eight of his 16 3-point attempts, more than his total 3-point field goals over the previous seven games.
His 46 points was also a career high.
"That was pretty terrific what he did, all around," head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "When he plays with that type of intensity, it lifts everyone. He was attacking the basket, shooting the three, making hustle plays, it was just a great all-around game from him in so many different ways."
Randle struggled the night before against the Clippers, shooting just 4-for-16 from the field, but just 24 hours later, led the comeback surge that saw New York overcome a 20-point deficit, a welcomed reversal of the Knicks fortunes that typically see themselves coughing up double-digit leads.
"Typically, we need energy on the second night of a back-to-back, just trying to be aggressive and energize the team that way," Randle said.
Randle certainly injected life into the Knicks offense in the second half, much needed for a former fan-favorite who has become public enemy No. 1 this season. But for at least one night, Randle looked like the Randle of old.
"When he's doing that," RJ Barrett said. "Give him the ball and get out of the way."
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