New York Knicks forward Julius Randle and Phoenix Suns wing Jae Crowder got involved in a skirmish near the end of their game on Friday night, with the Suns pulling away down the stretch.
Following the game, the Knicks star had some things to say about Crowder's knack for trash talking at the wrong time. (Via Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News)
Julius Randle on Jae Crowder: “He’s just a frontrunner. He didn’t say a word in the first half. They were down and they tied the game up and he got a stop on me and wanted to say something. That’s just who he is. Everybody in the league knows it. But I’m not worried about him.”
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) May 8, 2021
Randle's words seemed to echo that of former Knick Marcus Morris' from a season ago.
Julius Randle isn’t the first Knick to criticize Jae Crowder. …Id say Randle’s words were tame compared to Morris’s from last season pic.twitter.com/AiJGFLC4rY
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) May 8, 2021
Based on Randle and Morris' comments, they claim Crowder is very selective on when he lets loose on his trash talking.
As mentioned, Crowder and Randle got tangled up underneath the hoop while fighting for position. Crowder hit the deck and appeared to try to trip Randle as the latter was on his way back down the floor. Crowder seemed like he wanted to go at the Knicks big man for taking him down.
The two eventually mouthed off on each other as their teammates tried to cool both of their heads down. The referees assessed the Knicks star a technical foul on the play and reviewed the sequence for a hostile act, but didn't see much to call it such.
Randle and Crowder are arguably two of the most rugged and physical players in the league. The Knicks All-Star has become a revelation for New York this season and should take home the Most Improved Player award for leading the Knicks to a Cinderella 2020-21 season.
Meanwhile, Crowder's toughness has helped the Suns become one of the top teams, not just in the Western Conference, but in the entire NBA.
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