Knicks forward Julius Randle said his competitiveness and desire to win explained recent meltdowns with officials, but he said Monday he knows he’s not perfect. .
Before Monday’s home game against the Rockets, Randle drew his third consecutive technical foul in Thursday’s loss in Orlando, arguing with teammate Immanuel Quickley on his way off the court at halftime. This is the first time I have spoken to the media since then.
“Name the perfect leader. Name the perfect human,” Randle said at the team’s Tarrytown practice facility, noting that there’s a fine line between being a competitor and keeping your cool. He added that there are boundaries.
“Yes, a line. Certainly it is a line.”
Randle said umpire Leon Wood may have prematurely whistled a technical foul on him in the second half during an argument, but the NBA announced a call change four days after the incident. I haven’t
“Leon, I can’t leave it in his hands, but he told me he would talk to them about revoking it, so let’s see,” Randle said. , because I told him not to curse him or say anything inappropriate to him, just trying to have a conversation.
“Maybe it was a little quicker, maybe it wasn’t. But at the end of the day, you can’t leave it in his hands like that.”
The Knicks’ leading scorer has often said he’s trying to be less aggressive with officials this season after being slapped by 12 techs in the 2021-22 season. But he came out on Monday recording his 11th T in 75 games, including his four in the last seven.
“I think it’s hard for everyone. Credits [the referees], they have a tough job, so it’s tough,” Randle said. “When you want to win a game and certain things get in the way or you miss a play, whatever it is, it’s hard as a competitor. But they have a tough job, too.” .
“At the end of the day, I just want to win and compete, and that’s my focus. If I’m frustrated, that’s where I come from.”
When asked after the incident if he apologized to Quickley, who was trying to pull him out of an altercation with Wood, Randle added: So I’m not going to be specific about how we handle things. But at the end of the day, we are a team, we are in good shape and we are only focused on winning. ”
The Knicks (42-33) enter Monday in fifth place in the Eastern Conference playoffs, two games ahead of the No. 6 Nets and the No. 7 Heat, who will visit MSG on Wednesday.
