On Sunday afternoon, the Minnesota Timberwolves suffered their fourth consecutive loss with a road loss against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Although it did not immediately derail, the Timberwolves ultimately could not keep up with their 2025 Western Conference Finals opponents, and their freefall in the playoff standings continued.
One positive side of this game was that power forward Julius Randle was able to bounce back from a recent poor shooting slump, shooting an impressive 11-18 from the field after a recent game against the Golden State Warriors in which he had to sit on the bench.
Before the game on Sunday, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch explained how he planned to help Randle get back on track.
According to John Krawzinski of The Athletic, Finch said, "I've got to direct the ball more to the spots where he's really good." "I think we've gone away from that at times. I think that will definitely help him. Also, we'll have to be a little more open-minded to each other. I think that will help, too."
After the game, Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who spent a relatively quiet afternoon in Oklahoma City, talked about the silver lining of Randle's bounce-back effort.
“It was a lot of fun to watch,” Edwards said. "We were just trying to get it to him as much as possible. He found his rhythm tonight, and hopefully that continues."
Randall himself also talked about the relief he felt at being out of the recession.
“It definitely felt good to see the ball go in a little bit more today,” Randle said. "Just stay focused and consistent."
If the Timberwolves want to continue their streak of deep playoff runs, and maybe even make it this far, Randle will have to step up his game.
The Timberwolves next play on Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns.
