Julius Randle once again excelled against the LA Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers selected Kentucky forward Julius Randle with the seventh pick in the 2014 NBA draft.

He broke his leg in the first game of his rookie season and only played 14 minutes in his rookie season. The following season, he played 81 games, started in 60, and averaged a double-double. His Lakers tenure only lasted two more seasons before the team decided not to give Randle a long-term deal.

The 24-year-old settled on a two-year, $18 million deal with the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2018 offseason. He played in 73 games that season and started in 49 of them. With more volume, the six-foot-eight forward made a leap in the 2018–19 season. Randle averaged 21.4 points and 8.7 rebounds for a Pelicans team that missed the playoffs.

In four games against the Lakers that season, Randle averaged 24.2 points, including a 35-point performance in Los Angeles.

Fast forward to the 2019 offseason, and Julius Randle signs with the New York Knicks on a three-year, $63 million contract.

2019-20:

His inaugural season with the Knicks did not go well against the Lakers. In two games, he only averaged 15.5 points and shot 34.4 percent on his field goal attempts. The Knicks lost both games.

2020-21:

Julius Randle came to play when the Knicks hosted the Lakers on April 12th, 2021. Beating the Lakers by 15, the first-time All-Star put up 34 points, 10 rebounds, and shot 56.5 percent from the floor. It was his first win in a Knicks uniform against the Lakers and only his second win in six games.

Later that season, New York lost 101-99 in overtime in Los Angeles, but Randle had another big game. Playing 44 minutes, he led the Knicks with 31 points while also picking up eight rebounds and five assists. This was a weird box score to look back on. Randle had 31 points, and Derrick Rose came off the bench to score 27 points in 39 minutes. No other Knick scored in double figures.

2021-22:

Randle's good play against his former team carried over into this season. Hosting the Lakers without LeBron, he scored a modest 20 points but grabbed 16 rebounds along with five assists in their first matchup. He had a frustrating fourth quarter, but the team was able to come through for him. Evan Fournier led the Knicks with 26 points.

Around two and a half months later, Randle got another crack at the Lakers in Los Angeles. The result for the Knicks was an overtime loss, but Randle had an individual performance to be proud of. Playing 41 minutes, the Knicks forward scored 32 points on 50 percent shooting. He also cleaned up on the boards with 16 rebounds and dished out seven helpers.

2022-23:

A few weeks before Julius Randle was named to his second career All-Star team, he took on Lebron James and Anthony Davis in the Garden. It wasn’t his finest night shooting, but he still managed 23 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists in the losing effort. This was Randle's third time losing in overtime to the Lakers since joining the Knicks.

Fresh off the All-Star game, Randle put up his third consecutive 30-point game in Los Angeles. In a winning effort, the former Laker put up 33 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in 36 minutes.

2023-24:

The Knicks went to Los Angeles on Monday night, and, surprise, Julius Randle had a great game. Playing 43 minutes, the motivated former Laker scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 114-109 win. His 22 points in the paint were season-high. He was a beast at capitalizing on those opportunities. Randle has now scored at least 16 points in the paint in his last five games.

Julius Randle enjoys going up against the team that drafted him seventh overall in 2014. Since joining the Knicks, he has averaged 25.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in nine games against the Lakers. New York is 4-5 in those nine games but has won the last two matchups, both in Los Angeles.

The Knicks will host the Lakers on Saturday night, February 3rd, in what is scheduled to be a nationally televised game at 8:30 PM EST.

If there’s one thing to note going into that matchup, Julius Deion Randle will come ready to play.

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