Randle leads Knicks past short-handed 76ers

PHILADELPHIA – Julius Randle scored 31 points, including eight straight during a key fourth-quarter stretch, to lead the New York Knicks to a 103-96 victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.

Philadelphia was without four- time All- Star Joel Embiid and three others due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, which are for players who have tested positive for COVID-19 or been in close contact with someone who’s tested positive.

RJ Barrett added 15 points for the Knicks, who won their second in the last five.

“He was a monster all the way around, the way the game started, the energy he was playing with, he set the tone defensively,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said of Randle, who also had 12 rebounds. “When he plays like that, it makes us a different team.”

Andre Drummond started in place of Embiid, and had 14 points and 25 rebounds. Furkan Korkmaz added 19 points for Philadelphia, which had a six-game win streak snapped.

The Knicks led by as many as 19 points in the first half and looked on their way to a blowout, but Philadelphia used a 25-14 third quarter to pull within 72-69 entering the fourth. The 76ers got within one on multiple occasions in the final period, the last on a 3-pointer by Georges Niang with 5:01 left that made it 89-88.

Then Randle took over. He converted a driving layup and then a pair of 3- pointers, the second giving the Knicks a 97-91 lead with 2:54 left.

“Just took what the game gave me,” Randle said. “Those are the moments I want.”

New York took a comfortable 100-91 lead on Kemba Walker’s threepoint play with 2:19 left.

“The game could’ve gotten away from us in the first half and it didn’t,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. “We hung in there.”

ESPN, citing sources, reported earlier Monday that Embiid tested positive for COVID-19. Neither the 76ers nor Rivers would confirm that. Rivers said before Monday’s game that Embiid was “struggling.”

“It’s not going great. He’s struggling with it. Similar to Tobias (Harris),” Rivers said. “It clearly is a concern.”

UP NEXT

Knicks: Host defending NBA champion Milwaukee on Wednesday night.

76ers: Host Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

AP PHOTO/MATT SLOCUM New York Knicks’ Derrick Rose (4) goes up for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers’ Shake Milton, from right, Danny Green, Georges Niang and Tyrese Maxey during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Monday in Philadelphia.