CLEVELAND — It wasn’t Willis Reed walking through the tunnel, but Julius Randle’s presence Saturday provided the Knicks a boost beyond the box score.
Labeled a game-time decision before the opening tip because of a sprained ankle, Randle logged 33 minutes Saturday and closed the 101-97 victory with a clutch offensive rebound.
“We all know you’re gonna get everything he has,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Julius played in 77 games until he sprained his ankle. He practiced everyday. What you see in the games, what you see in practice — you know you’re gonna get whatever he has. And I knew if he could go, he would go. That’s Julius. And so, I thought he had a very strong start to the game. And the rebound was huge. Huge.”
