Julius Randle rediscovered his shot, and RJ Barrett returned with force.
Just in time to spoil James Harden’s latest debut.
Facing a lineup of former MVPs and All-Stars, the Knicks ran away in the fourth quarter of Monday’s 111-97 victory Monday night, snapping a two-game losing streak for their first win this season at the Garden.
Randle had been the focus of the team’s early-season struggles, entering the evening with the NBA’s worst field-goal percentage among players averaging double-digits in scoring.
He responded Monday with a season-high 27 points on 9-for-20 shooting and another double-double with 10 boards.
Still, the power forward wasn’t interested in discussing his breakout, giving short answers postgame after a week’s worth of critical coverage.
“Y’all watched the game,” Randle said. “I’ll let you evaluate it.”
Two nights earlier — following a loss to the Bucks — Thibodeau questioned Randle’s decisionmaking.
It was uncharacteristic of a coach who rarely, if ever, calls out his only All-Star.
Maybe the motivation worked.
“He just got some easy ones.
Once that happened, he saw the ball go in. Found a rhythm,” Thibodeau said Monday. “I’m not worried about him scoring the ball. We know how gifted a scorer he is.”
The Clippers (3-3), meanwhile, were disjointed offensively while committing 22 turnovers.
Harden, who forced a trade from Philly last week, was booed during introductions, dribbled a lot, and finished with 17 points in 31 minutes.
It would’ve been an encouraging start except for the final score, which took shape during the Knicks’ 23-7 run to start the fourth quarter.
With a spirited defensive effort from reserve Donte DiVincenzo, the Knicks forced L.A. into seven turnovers in the final 11 minutes as the crowd turned lively.
“Subconsciously, yeah [I heard the crowd],” DiVincenzo said. “I think you just feed off of it naturally. You’re so focused on trying to get stops. All the star power they had over there; they can get it going quick. And you don’t want to let your guard down for any possession. We stayed on it, forced them to two or three misses in a row, a couple turnovers. I think that’s when our confidence started to building in the open court.”
Kawhi Leonard (18 points), Paul George (10) and Russell Westbrook (17) were all bad to mediocre.
Before tipoff, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue was focused on cultivating a sharing atmosphere.
“I just hope when they’re cooking they’re not eating all the food. That’s the biggest thing, man,”
Lue said. “That’s gonna be my job, to make sure I manage it, make sure everyone is in a rhythm on a nightly basis. That’s my job. I’m excited to see how it looks.”
Barrett, meanwhile, returned to the lineup with 26 points and six rebounds, shooting 9 of 16.
It followed a two-game absence because of knee soreness or, technically, patellar tendinopathy.
“The knee is feeling better,” he said.
The Knicks suffered without their young wing, dropping both games because of a sputtering offense.
But on Monday, most of the roster — with the notable exception of Jalen Brunson (7 points, 2-for-12 shooting) — found a rhythm.
“Of course, we have to get our turnovers down,” said Thibodeau, the perfectionist, after the Knicks committed 19 turnovers. “But the win is the most important thing.”
