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Julius Randle and the New York Knicks survived a scare from the slumping Detroit Pistons before earning a closely-fought 118-112 win. Playing in front of their home fans, the Knicks held an 87-85 edge leading into the fourth quarter. The crowd at Madison Square Garden was restless seeing the team struggle against the Pistons who were mired in a 15-game losing streak. Detroit was determined to snap out of their funk at the expense of the home team.
New York came out hot to start the game. They surged to a 31-17 lead after the first 12 minutes of the game. The Pistons dug in and stunningly battered the Knicks on the road. A 37-23 advantage in the second period evened things at 54 apiece before the halftime break.
At halftime, fans at MSG witnessed a proposal from one of the fans to his girlfriend. While the now-engaged couple kissed each other, Julius Randle strutted in the background to talk to one of the referees. The All-Star forward was behind the main scene until the end of the said proposal.
Fans reacted to Randle's unwarranted part of the scene:
“Randle always knows how to kill the vibe”
Julius Randle could have done worse than ruin the vibe of that proposal. The New York Knicks needed all he could contribute to escape with the win. He played 38 minutes and finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and one block.
Knicks fans have to thank Jalen Brunson for coming up big as well. The shifty guard led all scorers with 42 points to go with eight assists, six rebounds and one steal. Brunson didn’t show up in the proposal scene but he was front and center of nearly everything New York did on Thursday night against Detroit Pistons.
Julius Randle and the New York Knicks face a brutal schedule in their next 10 games
The New York Knicks’ first 10 games will be brutal. Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson and their teammates will have to step up big time to keep a winning record until Christmas. Seven of the games during the said stretch will be on the road.
The Knicks will face the Toronto Raptors twice and the Milwaukee Bucks thrice. They will also have games against the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, LA Clippers, LA Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets. The last game against the Bucks during the said span will be Dec. 25, in what is expected to be a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden.
Following tonight’s win, the Knicks are 11-7. If Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson can’t sustain their form, New York could end sub .500 after Christmas.
