Julius Randle fined $50,000 for altercation with Phoenix Suns’ Cam Johnson

The NBA announced Sunday that New York Knicks forward Julius Randle has been fined $50,000 for his altercation with Phoenix Suns forward Cam Johnson in Friday’s Suns win.

Part of Randle’s fine was also for making contact with an official and failing to comply with an NBA investigation.

In the late third quarter on Friday, Randle and Johnson made contact while battling for position on a shot attempt by the Knicks. Randle initiated the contact and Johnson braced for it, leading to a strong collision.

For whatever reason, that upset Randle, who walked down Johnson to get in his face and attempted to move an official to get closer to Johnson before shoving the Suns wing. The two were quickly separated after that.

Officials handed out a double technical foul for the incident and then a second technical to Randle, ejecting him from the game.

Randle had 25 points in the game as New York’s best option on offense. The Knicks’ 10-point lead at the time shrank over the course of the game, all while Johnson scored 21 of his career-high 38 points in the fourth quarter. Johnson sank a 31-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to win it.

The moment that led to Randle’s ejection boiled over from a play in the first quarter when Randle was defended by Johnson and barreled into Johnson’s chest with his shoulder and arm. Johnson said he couldn’t catch his breath at the time and had to come out of the game. He had a pad put on the spot for his ribs in the locker room before returning in the second quarter, when a similar play between the two happened as well.

Johnson also took a knee to his right quad from New York’s Mitchell Robinson on a drive to the rim, a play that gave Johnson a contusion that has him out for Sunday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Tip-off in Milwaukee is at 1:30 p.m. and can be heard on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station

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