Knicks would lose their perfect balance without Julius Randle

It was one of those moments in sports that stop you mid-sentence, stop whatever mood you’ve adopted, and mutter to yourself, “Oh no.” 

Or, to quote Jalen Brunson, “Oh s–t.” 

As the surging Knicks were wrapping up yet another impressive victory — this time by rolling over the hated Heat, 125-109 — Julius Randle elevated for a layup and couldn’t avoid the standing body of Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. trying to draw a charge. 

Randle got up, wincing, his shoulder out of place. You could see the dangling, limp right arm on the replays. His non-shooting arm. 

Randle, known for his high pain tolerance and commitment to playing every game, darted off the court immediately. The Knicks were up by 17 with 4:27 remaining, but that’s not close to enough of a cushion for Tom Thibodeau to start pulling his starters. 

Maybe you think it should’ve been. But Heat coach Erik Spoelstra also had in his starters, and, as Thibodeau repeats when pressed about his garbage-time philosophy, “No lead is safe.”