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[Saba Sports News] The Minnesota Timberwolves entered Game 2 of their second-round series against the Golden State Warriors under pressure to respond, especially after squandering Game 1 despite Stephen Curry exiting early with a hamstring injury.
Julius Randle, who shouldered the blame for his Game 1 performance, vowed to elevate his play — and he delivered in a big way.
With Anthony Edwards limited by an ankle scare, Randle stepped up and dominated across the board. He finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, and 11 assists on an efficient 10-of-17 shooting to lead Minnesota to a convincing 117-93 win and even the series at 1-1.
In doing so, Randle posted a stat line that hadn’t been seen by a Timberwolves player in over two decades. According to StatMuse, he became the first Minnesota player since Kevin Garnett in 2004 to record at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists in a playoff game.
Garnett last did it on May 27, 2004, with 28 points, 13 boards, and nine assists in a loss to the Lakers during the Western Conference Finals — the last deep playoff run for the franchise before their drought-breaking 2018 return.
Minnesota’s playoff appearances may have been sparse in the post-Garnett era, but this marks their fourth straight postseason. With Randle now proving to be a reliable postseason contributor — after years of questions about his playoff consistency — the Timberwolves appear poised for another run to the Western Conference Finals.
His physicality and ability to exploit the Warriors’ size disadvantage were key, as Minnesota repeatedly attacked the interior and opened up quality shots from deep after two cold shooting nights.
Once considered a questionable centerpiece in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, Randle is rapidly changing that narrative with performances like this.