New York Knicks star Julius Randle had himself quite a game in their showdown against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. He finished the contest with a season-high 44 points, nine boards, and five assists. He was very efficient as well, shooting 63.6 percent from the field, including 53.8% from long range.

After their 123-112 win, he revealed how his terrible warmup against the Hawks helped him in having his highest-scoring game of the season.

“I was locked in. Honestly, before the game when I was doing my pre-game workout, I couldn't hit a shot. So, I guess I got all my misses out pregame and once I saw a couple go through, I just tried to stay in rhythm and tried to stay locked in.”

Randle's vast improvement on both ends is the main reason why the Knicks have a 14-15 record, which puts them in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Now on his third team, the 26-year-old forward has truly found a home in the Big Apple, with this season being his best one yet, as he continues to make a strong case for his first ever NBA All-Star nod.

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When he was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers as the 7th overall pick in 2014, Randle was projected as a strong but undersized power forward. Today, he is a much more well-rounded player, improving his three-point shooting and his playmaking, averaging a career-high 5.6 assists per outing.

With Julius Randle leading the way, the Knicks could be on their way to squeezing into the NBA Playoffs.