Julius Randle scores 57 points, ties 3rd-highest for Knicks

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NEW YORK (AP) — Maybe someday Julius Randle will savor one of the best offensive nights in Knicks history.

Not on Monday. Not when it came in a losing effort.

And not when he blamed himself for the crucial rebound that got away.

Randle scored 57 points, matching the third-highest total in franchise history, but New York lost 140-134 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“I’m such a results-driven person, I try to focus on the process a little bit more and taking the necessary steps to get better and build as a team,” Randle said. “So hopefully I will be able to. Tonight, probably not. I’m a little upset about the loss.”

Randle tied Richie Guerin behind the only two 60-point games in Knicks history, Carmelo Anthony’s 62 on Jan. 24, 2014, and Bernard King’s 60 on Christmas Day in 1984.

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Randle had 52 through three quarters, already surpassing his previous best of 46 points.

The All-Star forward poured in a team-record 26 points in the third quarter, bringing the Knicks back into the game. The Wolves led 109-108 after being ahead by 17 in the first half.

His final basket, a three-point play with 42 seconds remaining, cut Minnesota’s lead to 137-134, but Randle was beaten to a rebound by Kyle Anderson on Minnesota’s next possession, and a cutting Taurean Prince scored inside with 10.1 seconds left before Mike Conley made a free throw after Randle was called for a technical foul.

That left Randle kicking himself for not making the defensive play on a night when the offenses ruled.

“Jalen (Brunson) got a defensive stop, we’re down three, it’s my job to come up with that rebound, 14 seconds left,” Randle said. “If we do that, we have a chance to win the game — or not win the game, but at least tie the game. So I didn’t get the job done.”

Randle was 19 for 29 from the field and 8 for 14 from 3-point range.

“It’s a shame to waste a performance like that,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.

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