Randle stars for Knicks as Warriors lose back-to-back

Julius Randle capped a 28-point performance when he was awarded an interior hoop on a Jonathan Kuminga goaltending violation with 21.4 seconds remaining as the New York Knicks held on to beat the Golden State Warriors, 116-114, in San Francisco on Thursday, February 10 (Friday, February 11, Manila time).

Randle complemented his team-high scoring effort with a game-high 16 rebounds and a team-high 7 assists, and Evan Fournier used 5 three-pointers as the foundation for a 22-point night, allowing the Knicks to snap a four-game losing streak.

Stephen Curry had a game-high 35 points for the Warriors, who lost for a second straight night after absorbing a 111-85 drubbing at the hands of the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on Wednesday.

Down 62-57 at the half, the Knicks grabbed the upper hand by holding the Warriors to 20 points in the third quarter and 2 in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the final period, taking a 97-84 lead in the process.

But Golden State clawed back, getting within 104-102 on a Jordan Poole layup with still 4:34 to play and then 112-110 on 2 free throws by Kuminga with 1:07 to play.

Golden State had a chance to tie on its next possession, but Curry’s layup hung on the rim and rolled off.

Randle followed by getting awarded 2 points on a Kuminga block that was deemed to occur on the shot’s downward trajectory, doubling the Knicks’ advantage to 4 points.

Alec Burks and Cam Reddish each missed a subsequent free throw to allow Golden State a shot at overtime, but Klay Thompson’s potential game-tying 16-footer clanged off the rim as time expired.

Randle’s 28 points included 8 free throws in 12 tries. The Knicks outscored the hosts 24-15 from the line, getting 16 more attempts (33-17).

Burks finished with 15 points, Cam Reddish 12, and Taj Gibson 10 – all off the bench – for the Knicks, who won for the first time in four outings on a five-game Western swing. Mitchell Robinson complemented 11 rebounds with 7 points.

Curry shot 5-for-16 on three-pointers on a night when the Warriors fired up 45 attempts from beyond the arc, making just 15. He also found time to complete a double-double with a game-high 10 assists.

Thompson and Kuminga totaled 17 points apiece, while Andrew Wiggins had 15 and Poole 11 for the Warriors, who had won nine in a row before Wednesday’s loss to the Jazz. – Rappler.com