With 8:07 to play in the fourth quarter of the Timberwolves' Game 4 showing against the Thunder in Minnesota in the Western Conference finals, coach Chris Finch went with his gut. He pulled out big man Julius Randle, whose stellar play in the conference semifinals had been so critical to getting Minnesota to advance.
Finch did not put Randle back into the game until there were just 14 seconds left to play, as part of an offense-defense switch as the Timberwolves pushed forward on what was ultimately a futile comeback attempt against the Thunder, who won, 128-126.
"He didn't have a great night, obviously," Finch said after the game. "Bench was really, really good. So I rolled with them. They were finding shots for each other, they shot the ball extremely well from the 3-point line. ... That's the guys we chose to go with there."
May 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) looks on against the Golden State Warriors in the first half during game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Timberwolves star Julius Randle
Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Randle finished the night with as many turnovers (five) as points (five) as he shot 1-for-7 from the field and 0-for-3 from the 3-point line. That's been part of a pattern of wide swings for Randle, who scored 28 points in the Western Conference finals opener, followed by six points in Game 2. He rallied with 24 points in Game 3, though.
On Monday, he was back into his funk, which is a surprise because he'd been so good throughout the postseason until this week. He is taking plenty of heat for it, especially from those who recall his iffy production while playing for the Knicks.
"Playing like playing for the Knicks again," one fan wrote on Twitter/X.
Another added, "He remembered his roots of being a choker."
Still another: "Back in his prime."
Another wrote, "That’s playoff Randle that I remember."
One fan added some betting advice: "The Julius we know and hated. Under."
Game 5 of the series will take place Wednesday night with the Thunder up, 3-1, back home in Oklahoma City.