Knicks star Julius Randle argues with ref Leon Wood before clashing with teammate Immanuel Quickley
Knicks star Julius Randle argues with referee Leon Wood before colliding with his OWN teammate, Immanuel Quickley, at halftime…as the forward commits a technical foul en route to the loss against the Magic.
The Knicks fell 111-106 to the Magic on Thursday, but that wasn’t the only blemish on the night as Julius Randle faced teammate Immanuel Quickley at halftime.
The incident occurred after Randle was hit by Franz Wagner late in the second quarter, and the All-Star appeared to believe a foul should have been called on the play.
It’s not the first time this season, or the game, that he’s approached a referee to make his point, as he began arguing with official Leon Wood.
However, Randle’s anger quickly turned on Quickley after the young guard stepped in and tried to stop him from arguing with Wood and potentially committing a technical foul.
After Wood called him for a technical, his third in three games, Randle could be seen yelling in Quickley’s face before being pulled away from his teammate and escorted off the court by the Los Angeles Associate Head Coach. Knicks, Johnny Bryant.
Julius Randle was not happy with his teammate Immanuel Quickley during halftime on Thursday
Randle had 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists in the narrow road loss
‘Everyone is trying to win. That’s all I can say about it,” Quickley said of the incident.
Sometimes that happens.
Randle now has as many as 11 technical fouls on the season, and coach Tom Thibodeau said in December that there must be “everyone’s conscience” to prevent Randle from arguing with the officials, according to the New York Post.
Only six players have more technique than Randle this year, and five more, while an unlikely number to hit in the Knicks’ last seven games, would land him a one-game suspension.
After falling to the Magic, the Knicks are just 1.5 games ahead of the Heat for the No. 5 seed in the East.