Coming off four straight games that went down to the last possession—losing three of them—Julius Randle and the New York Knicks left nothing to chance on Tuesday night.
Randle’s day started with a $15,000 fine for his sharp criticism of the officiating. It ended with a 37-point performance that fueled the Knicks’ surgical 131-113 win over a hapless Washington Wizards team.
Randle set the tone early, firing 12 in the opening quarter. By halftime, he already had 21 points, and the Knicks sat on a huge 20-point cushion.
The Knicks vented their frustrations on the Wizards after a frustrating last week that culminated in a one-point overtime loss to Eastern Conference leader Philadelphia 76ers.