Julius Randle

For the Milwaukee Bucks’ defense, the good news was that Julius Randle, settled into one of the finest first-half scoring exhibitions of his career, had finally given them a break. The bad news? The three-time All-Star still had other ways of creating offense on his mind. Intent on closing the half’s final minute in style, Randle roams the paint, crashing the glass for a contested rebound after his teammate’s shot bounces off the iron. Suddenly in a battle against both gravity and the out-of-bounds line, the New York Knicks star contorts his body, adjusting mid-fall to locate a wide-open teammate who rewards his hustle with a 3-point bucket. Randle’s performance, poetically, kept the Bucks on their toes throughout the In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals game on December 5, 2023. Despite the loss, Randle balanced between scorer and playmaker seamlessly with 41 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two 3-pointers.