Julius Randle delivered the most important playoff performance of his career precisely when the Knicks needed it most.
Randle said Tuesday night that fighting through a twice-sprained ankle over the past month has been “hell,” but his return to the lineup helped lift the Knicks from the depths of a potential 0-2 hole in their second-round playoff series against the Heat.
The All-Star power forward managed 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in 38 minutes in their series-tying victory at the Garden after missing the team’s Game 1 defeat.
“I thought Julius gutted it out, played tough … great,” Tom Thibodeau said after the game. “I really thought his pace, early on, helped set the tone. And I thought he read the game well.”
After sitting out the final five games of the regular season with the ankle issue initially suffered March 29 against the Heat, Randle averaged 14.4 points per game — more than 10 points below his All-Star level 25.1 in 77 regular-season appearances — on 33.8 percent shooting before reinjuring his left ankle in the clincher of the Knicks’ five-game elimination of the Cavaliers in the first round.
Randle also had posted a .298 field-goal percentage in his only previous playoff series, a five-game loss to the Hawks in 2021.
But he made an impact in various ways in Tuesday’s win after both he and Jalen Brunson had been listed as questionable to play with ankle issues.
Brunson scored a game-high 30 points as the Knicks salvaged a split of two home games ahead of Game 3 on Saturday in Miami.
“That’s what we do. Get into things together; get out of it together,” Randle said. “This is a very much together group. We have great chemistry on and off the court. I think because we really care for each other, it shows on the floor. Everyone sticks together in tough moments like that.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Knicks vs. Heat NBA playoff series
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- Brunson’s heroic night spoiled by late turnover
“And JB’s been making plays all year. That’s what he does. He’s not afraid of the moment. We’ve come to expect that from him.”
The Knicks also have come to expect a full stat line from Randle, who also led the team with 10.0 rebounds per game during the regular season.
“Definitely. He’s our leader, he’s our All-Star, so you know what we get from him every night and he showed up like we expected,” Quentin Grimes said.
“We just wanted to come in and be more physical. I think that was one of the spots, especially in the first game, where we felt [we came up short],” added Isaiah Hartenstein, who grabbed nine rebounds in Game 2, including four on the offensive glass. “Having Julius back also brings another dimension to the game.
“When you can be a lot more physical, especially on the offensive boards, it’s hard when you got Julius, Josh [Hart], me or Mitch [Robinson] in the game. It’s hard to box out in those situations. So having Julius back was great.”
Especially with Jimmy Butler sidelined in Game 2, also with a sprained ankle, for a Miami squad already without injured regulars Tyler Herro (hand) and Victor Oladipo (knee).
The undermanned Heat went 17-for-49 from 3-point range and led by six with 7:06 remaining before the Knicks went on a 24-12 closing run to pull out the pivotal victory.
“I think the sense of urgency is regardless,” Randle said. “That’s a great team over there. They’re competitors. That’s what they do. So, there’s gonna be a sense of urgency regardless.
“Credit to them. They haven’t necessarily shot the ball well during the regular season. But since the postseason started, they’re lights out. Those guys are great players, whether Jimmy’s on the floor or not. So, we’ve got to account for them. They made tough shots. They made it tough on us.”
As did the returning Randle on the Heat. With three days off between games, banged-up players on both sides now should get ample recovery time before Game 3.
“Whatever I can give the team, try to get us a win. That’s what matters,” Randle said. “So just happy I was able to be out there, contribute, help us get a win.”
