Even after Julius Randle lost his handle just a few feet beyond midcourt in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, and after he had to quickly regain possession and throw up an off-balanced 3-pointer over two defenders, teammate RJ Barrett thought the eventual game-winner was going in off the fingertips.
"I thought the shot was going in," Barrett said. "Evan [Fournier] and I were over there, and we definitely thought the shot was going in."
Why so much confidence in such a low percentage shot attempt?
"He had 40 already," Barrett said. "Bound to make something."
Indeed, Randle was spectacularly efficient on Friday night, pouring in 43 points while shooting 64 percent from the field on 25 attempts. None was bigger than that improbable game-winner with 1.1 seconds left, turning a 1-point deficit into an eighth straight win.
For Randle, it was just another landmark in a historically resurgent season.
"He just went crazy today," Barrett said.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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