Julius Randle Subtly Poked Fun at Giannis by Securing Jalen Brunson’s Game Ball

The Knicks big man wasn’t taking any chances to preserve the souvenir.

There was nonstop chatter about NBA game balls this week after Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo chased down basically the entire Pacers roster in pursuit of a souvenir from his 64-point masterpiece on Wednesday.

Knicks center Julius Randle wasn’t taking any chances Friday night after teammate Jalen Brunson went off for a career-high 50 points against the Suns.

When the final buzzer sounded, Randle grabbed the basketball from New York guard Ryan Arcidiacono and held it high in the air so nobody would take it away, a subtle jab at the situation Antetokounmpo faced earlier this week.

“To be completely honest, I’ve never cared about it,” Randle said of securing game balls to The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. “Now I do.”

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Brunson, however, told Bondy that his father—Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson—probably will keep the game ball.

Brunson made plenty of NBA history Friday, becoming the first player in league history to register 50 points, five rebounds, five assists, five steals and five three-pointers in a single game.

The Knicks return to action at 10:30 p.m. ET Saturday with a matchup against the Clippers.