Magic Johnson Sends Prayers to Knicks Superstar After Scary Incident Drains All-Star Momentum

It was all going so well for the New York Knicks on Saturday night with a comfortable victory virtually sealed when their All-Star forward Julius Randle was forced back to the locker room with an injury. The Knicks, who had gone 11-2 since the turn of the year, thumped the Miami Heat 125-109 at MSG to continue their red-hot form. But the end of the game left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth, including 5x champion Magic Johnson.

Taking to his X account, the Los Angeles Lakers legend first praised Knicks guard Jalen Brunson. He wrote, “The Knicks just sealed a victory over the Heat, with another dominate 31 point and 8 assist performance by Jalen Brunson.” Then he moved on to Randle’s injury. “I’m praying that Knicks forward Julius Randle did not suffer a serious injury. Randle’s been playing like an all star all season long!”

According to reports, the 2x All-Star dislocated his right shoulder after driving into Miami rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. while attempting a layup. At the time, the Knicks were up 115-98 with 4:27 left in the fourth. Although Randle successfully drew a blocking foul on Jacquez Jr., he fell on his right shoulder and was visibly struggling. The 29-year-old was rushed back to the locker room where he received further treatment. Even though the X-ray results didn’t show anything significant, the Knicks won’t know anything definitive till the results of the MRI.

Johnson and fans aren’t the only ones voicing their concern for Randle. “We don’t want to see that from anybody, especially him with how he’s been playing. He means a lot to us. So for him to go back there, obviously it’s not ideal,” Brunson said about his teammate after the game. This injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for both the Knicks and Randle with the All-Star weekend coming up soon.

Randle has been averaging 24.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. With the Knicks occupying the 4th spot in the East, Randle had an extremely good case to be an All-Star again. Nonetheless, it was another massive victory for the New York franchise.

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The New York Knicks extended their winning streak after Saturday’s win

The star-studded matchup featured several stars like Aaron Judge and Drake in attendance, adding glamour to the already intense matchup. Despite a slow start, the Knicks managed to secure their sixth consecutive win. While Jimmy Butler contributed 28 points, Bam Adebayo recorded 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Miami Heat.

On the other hand, Randle had 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists as the Knicks outscored the Heat 36-23 in the fourth. There hasn’t been any update on how many games the player will be missing yet, but Knicks fans will hope Randle comes back soon.

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