By conventional means, the New York Knicks had a handle on former compatriot Julius Randle. His new boss Chris Finch, however, appeared to think otherwise. Rand

Just a month into the offseason, though, that dominant core took a massive change. Two months later, that strong core had all but disappeared.

Jalen Brunson led the way for New York with a strong 26 points, but his 9-23 shooting was a microcosm of the team's struggles all day. The Knicks shot 38% from the field as a team with only Cameron Payne (18 points off the bench) shooting over 50% from the field for the game.

It sucks,” Randle said. “I guess we’ll never know what could’ve been. I think the more unfortunate part is everything was a build, a constant build — I feel like all our teams overachieved year

When Julius Randle signed with the Knicks in the summer of 2019, he joined a team that had just suffered its sixth consecutive losing season. The Knicks were fresh off of a 17-win campaign that matched the worst season in franchise history.

Anthony Edwards dominated the struggling Knicks, who were again outplayed in the fourth quarter, again barraged by 3-pointers and again lost handily, 116-99, Friday night to the Timberwolves.

Timberwolves forward Julius Randle made his anticipated return to Madison Square Garden on Friday and reflected on his impactful five-year tenure with the Knicks.

One night the Wolves might primarily need Randle to be a playmaker. Another night they might need his scoring. It can be dependent on the other team's defensive look, like on Saturday when the Cleveland Cavaliers heavily utilized a zone set.

Randle played a secondary role in the Timberwolves’ 116-99 win, taking a backseat in the spotlight as Anthony Edwards dazzled with 36 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

Former New York Knicks All-Star Julius Randle is gearing up to return to Madison Square Garden on Friday night. Randle’s Minnesota Timberwolves will take on the Knicks on the road.

Julius Randle marked his return to Madison Square Garden with a quiet game. But his impact was felt in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 116-99 rout of his former team, the New York Knicks, on Friday night (Saturday Manila time).