The Minnesota Timberwolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns to get Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round draft pick. It was a massive gamble to acquire a three-time All-Star who had a reputation for struggling in the playoffs. Minnesota made the conference finals in 2024 and was eager to improve on it. It left plenty of questions, but Randle is emphatically answering them.
The 30-year-old averaged 22.6 points per game in the first-round destruction of the Lakers and just stepped up in a needed spot in Game 3 against the Dubs. Minnesota was struggling to make plays and get their offense rolling until they turned it over to Randle.
He answered with 24 points, 12 assists, ten rebounds, and three steals in 40 minutes of action. The Wolves outscored Golden State by 16 with Randle on the floor in a five-point win. That means Minnesota lost the eight minutes he didn’t play by 11 points. Talk about a savior.
Timberwolves' Julius Randle trade looks genius
Karl-Anthony Towns is an elite scorer and stretch big man, but he cannot make plays like Randle. Minnesota desperately needed his playmaking with Edwards struggling in the first half. Ant-Man was settling and playing as he did in Game 1. It was Randle that got things going, including Edwards. The Wolves star finished with 36 points in 44 minutes, including 28 coming in final 24 minutes.
It was Randle’s first playoff triple-double and puts Minnesota two wins from returning to the conference finals. The Timberwolves have a massive edge with Stephen Curry out and just regained homecourt. Curry won’t play until Game 6 at the earliest, so the pressure is on Minnesota to win again on Monday night and put Golden State on the brink.
It will take another stellar performance from Julius Randle. It is hard to fathom he averaged 17.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 34.0 minutes per game in the playoffs before this season. He was shooting just 34.4 percent from the field and his team had won just one playoff series. Randle is quickly rewriting that narrative and is just the player Minnesota needs to be a serious threat.
Can he keep it up? The Warriors have no player that can match up on him. Randle bullied Draymond Green on multiple occasions, and he has a strength edge on Jimmy Butler. Golden State’s only hope is sending multiple bodies, but that is impossible with Anthony Edwards on the floor.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are two wins away from the conference finals. Fans should be excited, and it is even more sweet to watch Julius Randle play the best playoff basketball of his career.