Knicks’ Julius Randle downplays squabble with Evan Fournier

At the decision of what intelligibly had been different frustrating archetypal fractional for the Knicks, TV cameras caught Julius Randle and teammate Evan Fournier successful a heated treatment connected their mode to the locker country Thursday nighttime astatine the Garden. 

Both seasoned players acknowledged pursuing the Knicks’ 119-115 nonaccomplishment to the Bulls that they had a disagreement earlier clearing the aerial astatine halftime. 

“I conscionable saw thing and the biggest happening is communication, I can’t fto things enactment successful and beryllium frustrated. I’ve got to speech to my teammates,’ Randle said. “I deliberation the biggest happening is, you saw that interaction, and it looks similar we’re arguing, immoderate it was. 

“We went to the locker room, talked it out. We accidental careless astatine the extremity of the time we’ve got each other’s backmost and we’re successful this together. That’s important. … You tin person differences. You tin pass and speech and accidental what you spot connected the court. But astatine the extremity of the time we’ve got to cognize that we’re riding with each different regardless. I deliberation that was precise wide connection betwixt us, betwixt each of us.” 

Evan Fournier (left) speaks with Julius Randle (right) during the Knicks’ 119-115 nonaccomplishment to the Bulls.N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg

Randle and Fournier combined to pb the Knicks backmost from an 18-point halftime shortage to instrumentality the lead, earlier they fell abbreviated to driblet to .500 (11-11) for the archetypal clip this season. 

“It was a disagreement implicit I deliberation the past antiaircraft play astir the treble [team] and the rebounding,” Fournier said. “It was conscionable frustration. But I deliberation the cardinal was it was communicating.

“I would alternatively person that than not saying thing and clasp grudges and stuff. So, worldly similar that happens each the clip and I’m gladsome it happened, due to the fact that we played overmuch amended successful that 3rd quarter.” 

The unwellness that sent RJ Barrett to the locker country successful the 2nd 4th of Tuesday’s nonaccomplishment successful Brooklyn besides kept him sidelined Thursday night. 

Barrett, the lone subordinate to look successful each 72 games for the Knicks past season, sat retired for the archetypal clip this twelvemonth with what the squad is calling a non-COVID related illness. Rookie halfway Jericho Sims besides was ruled retired for the aforesaid reason. 

Nerlens Noel was sidelined again with a sore close genu aft playing successful the erstwhile 5 games. The 6-foot-11 halfway besides had missed 12 of the team’s archetypal 16 games successful 2 stints with genu issues. 

Little-used 2018 first-round prime Kevin Knox played astir 4 minutes successful the 2nd 4th and nailed his archetypal 3-pointer of the season. He’d totaled 3 points implicit his erstwhile 4 appearances this season.