The New York Knicks and Julius Randle have rightfully raised eyebrows this season for their stellar play. One particular statistic reveals that the Knicks are almost unbeatable when they're up by a huge margin.
Per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, the Knicks hold an eye-popping 20-1 record when they're able to mount a 16-point lead, clearly a marked improvement from last season. While they were capable of blowing out their foes, they still didn't possess the ability to close it out.
Knicks are 20-1 this season in games they've held a lead of at least 16 points. So they've been up 16+ in a third of their games this season. Last season they went up 16 in just 21% of their games and went 10-4.
— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) April 29, 2021
Their latest win on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls had the Knicks erecting a 20-point lead at one point. They outplayed the Bulls in almost every statistical category. But the most staggering was the turnover difference. Randle and company forced the Bulls to commit 14 errors while they only had four.
With the much-improved Randle leading the charge, the Knicks now have a 35-28 record for fourth place in the Eastern Conference, winning 10 of their last 11 games. It seems the boys from the Big Apple are peaking at the perfect time.
Their success can be attributed to the combination of excellent coaching from Tom Thibodeau and the hard work of the players. Randle is easily the best player and the leader of the squad, but a look at the roster reveals that young guns like RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Obi Toppin have contributed heavily to the team's surge.
The 2020-21 season can be marked as the Knicks' first big step towards reestablishing their legacy as one of the most prized franchises in all of sports. And we should be grateful to be witnessing it.
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