Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau wasn't sure if Julius Randle would be available to play on Tuesday night, until Randle called him late Monday night.
He told Thibodeau he was good to go after being in health and safety protocols since Dec. 30.
"He told me how great he felt," Thibodeau said after Tuesday's win over the Pacers. "I'm like 'OK, that's good news.' It came at a good time. We were working on how we were going to match up with them. A late-night call. One of the best late-night calls I ever had."
The phone call must have felt even better for Thibodeau after Randle backed up his confidence on the court, coming back from his absence and dropping 30 points on 12-of-20 shooting from the field. It was once of Randle's best games of the season, and a welcomed sight for the reigning All-Star who hasn't looked anything like his 2020-21 self so far this season.
"For Julius to do what he did today is just remarkable," Thibodeau said. "To come off health and safety protocol, travel and play, we had no idea what he was gonna be like. Unbelievable effort and unbelievable game."
It was the kind of game Randle desperately needed, showing more energy after being widely criticized for defensive lapses in recent games before he entered health and safety protocols. But on Tuesday, he grabbed 16 rebounds off the defensive glass and helped propel New York to a much-needed home win, which hopefully provided a sign of an improving Randle.
"Having Julius' physicality was huge for us," RJ Barrett said. "To me, the rebounding was the big difference in the game, and that's what we needed."
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