Julius Randle arrives, Knicks survive in Atlanta to defeat Hawks in 116-114 thriller

ATLANTA — Julius Randle spun on the low block, pump-faked, then jumped into Hawks’s defender Saddiq Bey, warding Bey’s block attempt with one arm and double-pumping the basketball with the other for the off-handed bank shot.

The whistle blew shortly after for the and-one.

Randle shrugged his shoulders, as if to shed Bey’s body weight. Then he had some words for a fan sitting court side before stepping to the line and hitting his free throw.

Two possessions later, Quentin Grimes had a dunk attempt blocked at the rim with less than three seconds left on the shot clock. Randle received the inbounds pass, then immediately rifled a no-look pass to a cutting Isaiah Hartenstein, who finished at the rim for an and-one of his own.

A night like this has been a long time coming for Randle, who endured one of the worst opening-season stretches imaginable after enduring offseason ankle surgery.

It’s safe to say Randle is back, and with his All-Star caliber play, so are the Knicks, who defeated the Hawks, 116-114, in front of an electric State Farm Arena crowd on Wednesday.

The victory wasn’t without its theatrics — Randle and Hawks star Trae Young jawed back and forth and were separated by Isaiah Hartenstein, who shoved Young in the direction of his bench.

The victory also came with its fair share of anxiety. The Hawks, on tired legs in the second leg of a back-to-back, trailed by as many as 13, and made a ferocious comeback in the fourth quarter, leading by as many as seven on a late-game run after Quentin Grimes checked himself out of the game with an apparent hand injury.

The Knicks survived, securing their fourth win in their last five games to improve to an above-.500 record of 6-5.

Randle had help, none from the officials, who awarded the Knicks with just nine free throws to 24 for the Hawks. With no RJ Barrett, who is day-to-day with a migraine, Josh Hart got the start — but Immanuel Quickley played the featured scoring role as the third head of the Knicks’ offensive attack.

Randle finished with a game-high 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Jalen Brunson added another 24 points and eight assists of his own. Quickley’s shooting — 20 points off the bench on 6-of-11 shooting from the field — swung the game.

So did Mitchell Robinson’s offensive rebounding.

Robinson finished with more rebounds (15) than both Hawks centers Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu combined (nine).

The starting Knicks big man also impacted Hawks guard Dejounte Murray on a driving layup that would have given the Hawks a 109-108 lead with 1:51 to go in the fourth quarter.

With less than a minute left, Randle missed a turnaround fading shot, but Robinson created an extra possession with Josh Hart the beneficiary of the offensive rebound. Hart gave the ball to Brunson, who drove baseline, then dished a no-look swipe pass to the cutting Randle, who hit a layup to five the Knicks the lead.

On the ensuing possession, Brunson his Hawks forward Deandre Hunter with an in-and-out dribble then stopped-and-popped at the foul line for a dagger two that gave the Knicks a three-point lead with 18.8 seconds left.

Hawks fans rose to their feet for what felt like an eternity. Murray finished with just 12 points but made a driving layup that made it a one-point game with 15 seconds left. The Hawks sent Immanuel Quickley to the line, and he made both free throws.

Then out of the timeout, Hawks shooter Bogdan Bogdanovic — who had a team-high 28 points — up-chucked an ill-advised fading three with 15 seconds left on the clock. It air-balled, all but sealing defeat for the Hawks at home.

Until DiVincenzo was whistled for a five-second violation while attempting to inbound the ball.

Up three, the Knicks intentionally fouled Murray, who made the first free throw, then intentionally missed the second before the Hawks were whistled for a lane violation.

The Knicks now travel to Washington, D.C., for a matchup with the Wizards before traveling to Charlotte for the second leg of a back-to-back against the Hornets.

It’s clear Randle is back after a slow start to the season. And with him go the Knicks hopes for a deep playoff run.