Julius Randle had scored at least 30 points in six of the previous seven games, including two nights of 40 and more. But against Phoenix, Randle, the NBA leader in minutes, looked frayed as he was held on 18 points and shot 6 for 17 from the field. He also only had four assists and six rebounds with three turnovers. He faced a lot of double teams and didn’t have the juice to break through.
“He’s had an incredible month,” said coach Tom Thibodeau. “So he will have a lot of attention which will require a lot of energy. He has a double team in almost every game. But he is in incredible shape. He is our engine and I have a lot of faith in him”.