Randle seemed to have nothing in the tank for much of the MLK Day midday game against the Magic.
Randle however collected 21 points, had 17 rebounds and his hard-hitting basket with the score in a tie and Orlando who maintained the momentum ended with a layup with 56.8 seconds left. He also scored four free throws in the final 16 seconds to fend off an Orlando miracle.
“A little lazy,” Randle admitted. “The shots didn’t land and I missed the layups. But in all of this I just tried to stay in the game, stay focused, tried to impose my will on other parts – be it my defense or my rebound – and in the end I managed to find some looks that I liked, over, high up and do some throws and free throws. Here’s what the game is like. In the end it will reward you. You just have to be mentally strong, stick with it and try to play it right and it will eventually come out”.
Randle averages 37.3 minutes per night.