Julius Randle says Knicks coach rekindled team’s defensive identity

“I think really since the Houston game [on Dec. 31], maybe, Coach, he got on us to really lock in defensively,” Julius Randle said after the New York Knicks won for the sixth time in seven games Friday night in Washington.

“And I took it personally, because I felt like I wasn’t necessarily playing my best defense for those couple of games, whatever it was. I took it personally and we all did as a team. It’s another thing, you see things working, you’re in the right spots, and we have that trust. We’re on a string on that end, so it’s encouraging.”