WITH FIVE MINUTES remaining in a tied November game, Randle dribbled the ball above the arc while sizing up Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl, planning to attack a perceived mismatch. But Gobert had intentions to take advantage of his mismatch, fighting for a deep seal on 6-8 forward Scottie Barnes, pinning the smaller defender on his back under the basket and raising his right hand up high to demand the ball. Randle tilted his head to the left in an attempt to subtly send a message for Gobert to get out of the paint. Gobert didn’t budge, locking eyes with Randle, who took a couple more dribbles before using his right hand to wave off the big man. Gobert begrudgingly accepted that Randle wouldn’t be passing him the ball. He slumped his shoulders and shook his head as he slowly shuffled out of the lane. Too slowly. -via ESPN / January 17, 2025
Julius Randle on getting traded from Knicks: ‘It sucks, I guess we’ll never know what could’ve been’
