DETROIT — Julius Randle believes coach Tom Thibodeau got the Knicks to recommit to their defensive identity after giveaway losses just before the New Year in Dallas and San Antonio extended the team’s longest losing streak of the season to five games.
“I think really since the Houston game [on Dec. 31], maybe, Coach, he got on us to really lock in defensively,” Randle said after the 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.”
Randle had a key blocked shot of the Wizards’ Delon Wright in the fourth quarter Friday.
Julius Randle has found his defensive identity since the start of the new year. AP Photo/Frank Franklin IITaj Gibson and Derrick Rose were teammates under Thibodeau with the Bulls, Timberwolves and Knicks. Now with the Wizards, Gibson said Friday night that he’s not surprised Rose, the 2010-11 league MVP, has handled being dropped from the Knicks’ rotation in a professional manner.
“It’s different, but it’s a part of our league,” Gibson said. “Nothing surprises me. He’s been professional, so I’m sure if Thibs gives him the nod … in a crucial time, he’ll come and perform. Derrick’s a professional, so once you’ve been around long enough, you kind of can weather any storm coming your way, and that’s kind of what Coach Thibs is. He’ll push you in different, uncomfortable situations, and you’ve got to figure it out.”
Second-year guard Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, is out for the season for the Pistons (12-34) after undergoing surgery on his left tibia in November. Marvin Bagley Jr. (hand) also will miss the game Sunday for Detroit.
