New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle battled foul trouble late in the game against the Lakers on Tuesday but still had a fine line with 20 points, 16 rebounds and five assists in a 106-100 win. He added one steal to his tally and had four turnovers in 34 minutes while shooting 7-for-17 from the field and 5-for-8 at the line. Randle, who went 1-for-5 with the three-ball on Tuesday, now has 54 points across his last two games and four double-doubles over his past five appearances, showing off some of his All-Star form from last season. He faces a stingy defense next in a matchup against the Suns, but Monty Williams' side isn't a great rebounding team, so Randle should sniff around another nice double-double.

New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle scored a game-high 34 points in Sunday's loss to the Bulls, shooting 13-for-19 from the field and 7-for-8 at the charity stripe. He hit one of his two shots from deep and grabbed a double-double with 10 rebounds while dropping three dimes with five turnovers in 39 minutes. This was Randle's biggest performance since opening the season with a 35-point effort against Boston. His numbers have dropped across the board this season, with poor efficiency holding back Randle's offensive production. He had shot 40 percent or less from the field in five straight contests prior to Sunday. The 2021 All-Star can star in a revenge game against the Lakers next. He'll be aiming to post back-to-back outings with 50 percent shooting for the first time this season.

New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle had a very poor 4-for-15 shooting performance against the Rockets in Saturday's win but managed to salvage his line with a near triple-double. He had 16 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists with two turnovers in 33 minutes. Randle, who was 2-for-6 with the three-ball on Saturday, set very high standards with his All-Star campaign last season, so his performances in 2021-22 have been disappointing, but there's still time to improve. It should start with the shooting, as Randle has hit barely over 40 percent from the field this term. He faces a tough Bulls defense on Sunday, and things won't get easier next week either, with the Lakers and the Suns visiting the Big Apple.

New York Knicks forward Julius Randle scored 30-plus points for the second time in his last three games, and the fourth time this year, in Monday's win over Philadelphia. Randle caught fire from deep, knocking down a season-high five triples while adding 12 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the year, which ties him for second in the NBA. The Kentucky product will get a day off before a Monday matchup with the Bucks, who surrendered 32 points and 12 boards to Randle last week. They've allowed the seventh-most FanDuel points per game to power forwards, so Randle should make for a fine DFS play once again.

New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle had a good all-around performance in Sunday's loss to Cleveland, scoring 19 points with seven rebounds and seven assists. He also picked up one steal with one block and two turnovers in 37 minutes on the court. However, Randle disappointed fantasy managers with his shooting, ending up 7-for-17 from the field and 1-for-5 from downtown. The 26-year-old shot close to 46 percent during his breakout year last season but has managed to nail only 42.5 percent of his shots this term. He's still averaging 21.6 points per game with 10.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists, but there's some nice room for improvement. Randle will be back in action on Monday in a difficult matchup against Philly.

New York Knicks forward Julius Randle led his team to a big win over the defending-champion Bucks on Friday. Randle scored 30-plus points for the third time this season while racking up his second straight double-double, chipping in four assists, three threes and two blocked shots. He enjoyed a much stronger shooting performance from the field, shooting 50 percent after struggling to 6-for-16 shooting his last time out. The 6-3 Knicks continue to run their offense through Randle, who keeps on impressing with averages of 21.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. He'll get a favorable matchup against the Cavaliers on Sunday.

New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle posted his fifth double-double of the season during a 111-98 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. He scored 18 points to go along with 14 boards, three assists, and one steal. The 27-year-old struggled shooting the ball as he went just 6-for-16 from the field and 0-for-2 from three-point range. While the reigning Most Improved Player has started the season strong, he is likely to see a dip in counting stats as the Knicks have added pieces around him in Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier to lessen the load.

New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle continued his hot start to the year in Tuesday's victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. He came within three assists of a triple-double in the game as he compiled 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. He shot 7-for-18 from the field and 2-for-5 from three-point range in the contest. Randle has now posted double-doubles in three straight games and he's averaging 6.5 assists per game on the young season. He'll look to keep his double-double streak going in his next game, which will be against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.

New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle finished Sunday's 110-104 loss to Orlando with a nice fantasy line, getting 30 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, two steals and four blocks. However, it was a poor shooting performance from him, as he finished 8-for-24 from the field and 2-for-10 from downtown. Randle nailed 12 of his 14 free throws. The 26-year-old is shooting just 43 percent for the season but is still averaging close to 30 points a night with 11 rebounds and six assists. He'll look to improve his efficiency next against the Sixers, who managed to limit Randle to 22 points per game in three meetings last season.

New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle finished Friday's 121-96 victory over Orlando with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. He led the team in the first two categories while sharing the lead in assists with Derrick Rose and Alec Burks. Randle added a pair of steals to his line and had four turnovers in 30 minutes, shooting 9-for-16 from the field and 2-for-6 from downtown. The 26-year-old had a huge year in 2020-21 and looks ready to take another step in his development. Look for him to crush the Magic again on Sunday.

New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle helped lead the team to a double-overtime victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. He scored a team-high 35 points while adding nine assists, eight rebounds and three blocks. Unfortunately, the big stat line came along with a game-high seven turnovers. Randle knocked down three three-pointers in the game and shot 12-for-27 from the field and 8-for-8 from the line. He's coming off the best season of his career and looks well on his way to another strong campaign. His next game will be a favorable matchup against the Orlando Magic on Friday.

New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle will not play in the team's preseason game against the Washington Wizards on Saturday. He is away from the team right now due to personal reasons that have not been revealed. The former Kentucky star dropped a team-high 20 points in the Knicks' preseason debut against the Indiana Pacers this past week. With Randle out, expect to see increased minutes for Obi Toppin and Jericho Sims. Randle had the best season of his career last year, averaging 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.

Forward Julius Randle agreed to a four-year, $117 million contract to remain in New York. The final year of the deal includes a player option, and it comes after 26-year-old averaged a career-high 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists last season. Randle also played nearly 38 minutes in each of his 71 games, all in the starting lineup, so managers would be justified to take him somewhere in the second or third rounds in upcoming fantasy drafts.

ATLANTA (AP) — If Trae Young is the unquestioned star of the Atlanta Hawks, then Clint Capela is the backbone. A pretty good trash talker, too. The burly, 6-foot-10 Swiss center has given the Hawks the gritty defensive presence they so desperately needed. Without Capela, it's hard to envision Atlanta preparing for its first appearance in the Eastern Conference semifinals since 2016. “He's the anchor for us,” interim coach Nate McMillan said. “Defensively, he's been the guy all season who cleans up our breakdowns and mistakes on the perimeter.” Capela was acquired by the Hawks from Houston last year at the trade deadline — part of a 12-player deal that signaled Atlanta was ready to take the next step in a massive rebuild that produced three straight dismal seasons. For the first time in the overhaul, the Hawks weren't taking on a big salary just for the sake of future cap space. They had big plans for Capela, even though a foot injury prevented him from suiting up for his new team before... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Everyone was about to head home for the summer when a “Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks!" chant broke out at the end of Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. After years of disappointing them, the New York Knicks had given their fans a team they couldn't get enough of. “I think we’re bringing a brand of basketball back that the city can be proud of,” Julius Randle said. Now the Knicks will work on giving them one that can be a regular contender again. A surprising first season under Tom Thibodeau ended Wednesday with a 4-1 loss in the first round to the Atlanta Hawks. It was the Knicks' first postseason appearance since 2013 and one that was unexpected. “I don’t think anyone saw them doing what they did,” Thibodeau said. “Everyone doubted them all year. They didn’t doubt themselves. So there was a great belief. They worked as hard as they could possibly work.” Randle emerged as an All-Star and was the runaway winner of the NBA's Most Improved Player award. The rest of the Knicks... [More]

Philadelphia, Utah and Atlanta can reach the second round. Dallas or the Los Angeles Clippers will get to the verge of it. Yet as Russell Westbrook and Ja Morant try to save their seasons and Trae Young looks for a clinching victory, eyes will be on the action in the seats right along with the court. The games Wednesday are the first for all three of those players in the arenas where they were the subjects of ugly fan actions in Game 2 of these first-round series. The unruly fan behavior continued Monday when a spectator was tackled after running onto the court in Washington, and Young noticed. “They doing it for attention now,” he wrote on Twitter. Young was cursed at in both games and spit on in the second one at Madison Square Garden, the only game the Knicks won in the series. The Hawks went home and easily took Games 3 and 4 in Atlanta. Now they can silence the New York fans for the summer. Hawks coach Nate McMillan said he feels safe as the team returns to New York, adding that the... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks all began their first-round playoff series at a home-court disadvantage. After moving ahead of their higher-seeded opponents with early-series road wins, all three are up 2-1 and in position to move to the brink of the second round Sunday. The stakes are similar in all four NBA playoff games on a tantalizing slate: Atlanta, Dallas and the defending NBA champions will attempt to seize firm control of their series at home, while the heavily favored Brooklyn Nets can do the same in Boston. Los Angeles, Atlanta and Dallas are probably aware of the massive statistical edge for NBA teams with a 3-1 series lead — only 13 of 260 teams in that situation have ever blown it. They also realize Phoenix, New York and the Clippers will play for a split with appropriate intensity. “It’s going to be probably the biggest game in this series unless, it goes to a Game 7,” Lakers forward Anthony Davis said Saturday. “We’re going in... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Julius Randle is in his seventh season, later than the usual Most Improved Player winner. He is aware of the notion that by then, players have already shown what they are in the NBA and they're not going to get any better. He also knows he's not that type of player. “For me, it’s always about continuing to improve,” Randle said. He did that across the board this season and was rewarded Tuesday with a runaway in the voting for the award after leading the New York Knicks to the playoffs. Randle received 98 first-place votes from a panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. His son, Kyden, delivered the award to Randle while his team was on the practice floor after he became the first Knicks player to win the Most Improved Player award. He wants to be the second, too. Randle said his goal is to win the award again next season. He doesn't know if he could actually get it again, but he plans to make another improvement regardless of the recognition. “For me it’s about constantly... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Julius Randle was voted the NBA's Most Improved Player on Tuesday after leading the New York Knicks to the playoffs during his best season. Randle was a runaway winner after earning his first All-Star berth in his seventh NBA season, receiving 98 first-place votes from a panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Randle averaged 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists, ranking in the NBA's top 20 in all three categories, while playing an NBA-high 37.6 minutes. Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Russell Westbrook and Nikola Jokic (who also did it this season) are the only other players to have a 24-10-6 season. Beyond his stats, Randle was the clear leader of a Knicks team that had missed the playoffs the last seven years and wasn't expected to make them this season. Instead, they went 41-31 and earned the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. But Randle had a disappointing postseason debut in Game 1, shooting 6 of 23 for 15 points in the Knicks' 107-105... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Doc Rivers can’t fathom criticism of Ben Simmons, especially after the three-time All-Star became just the sixth player in NBA history to have at least 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a playoff game. “Only in Philadelphia,” Rivers said Tuesday when asked about the critics. “If you guys don’t know the treasure you have by now, then shame on everyone because he’s been fantastic for us. He creates points every single night for us. When Ben was on the floor, we were really good. “I’m amazed that people don’t see what he does. We’re so caught up in the amount of points he scored. ... Does it matter if Ben had all 125? Would we be mad that Joel (Embiid) didn’t score? Who cares who scores as long as we’re scoring. ... When Ben plays, we score more points.” Simmons scored six points in Philadelphia's 125-118 victory over Washington in Game 1 of their first-round series opener. He missed all six of his free throws and his shooting deficiencies sometimes overshadow his all-around... [More]