NEW YORK — In the course of 27 minutes on the floor the Knicks saw every phase of what Julius Randle can be. There was the unstoppable scoring force as he piled up 27 points in the first half. There was the unselfish playmaker in the third quarter as the Kings were forced to double him and he responded by picking out open cutters to orchestrate the offense without a point. And then there was the frustrating — and clearly frustrated — version.
Already playing without his backup Obi Toppin, sidelined with a knee injury, the Knicks were left to mix and match to find their way to the finish line, playing the last 15:35 without Randle. And to add to the challenge, with just over nine minutes remaining Jalen Brunson limped to the locker room, done for the night. But with a cushion built and RJ Barrett picking up the offensive load the Knicks managed to hold on for their fourth straight win, beating the Sacramento Kings, 112-99, at Madison Square Garden.
Randle put a sour finish on what had been a spectacular performance. He threw up an air ball from three and worked referee Marc Davis all the way down the court before grabbing an offensive rebound on the next possession and with contact in the lane, he went to the floor and was left there as the teams headed the other way with no call. He got up and immediately went at the nearest official, Robert Hussey, who hit him with a technical. But he turned and then went hunting for Davis, arguing his case loudly as teammates tried to pull him away. But Davis handed him a second technical and an ejection with 3:35 left in the third quarter.
