“Yeah, I mean it’s, you know, um, didn’t have a great night. Obviously, uh, bench was really really good, so I rolled with them,” said Chris Finch, when discussing Julius Randle’s recent performance in the post-game presser. The player’s inconsistent nature during the postseason saw a comeback, as he delivered his worst performance in playoffs by recording just 5 points to go along with his 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Not something a coach expects to see from their No. 2 player, especially when the team is down 1-2 in the race for the NBA Finals. Randle would have certainly realized this. Therefore, he made it clear that the time to be easy is long gone now.

During the post-game Q&A session, a reporter highlighted how the Timberwolves’ power forward had said earlier that the team played ‘desperate’ in Game 3. This led to him asking whether that ‘desperation’ would work again, for Game 5. This led Julius Randle to say, “We got no choice. So, you know, we got to give it our all and, um, go from there”. Randle and co, when all things considered, really have no choice. After all, one more loss, and the team will be eliminated from the NBA tournament after having come so far.

After the Minnesota Timberwolves lost 2 consecutive games by wide margins, there was a belief that the team would not take things lying down in Game 3. Sure enough, not only did Anthony Edwards and co win, but they won by a score of 143-101, aka a 42-point margin! Compare that to the first 2 games that were lost by a 26-point margin and a 15-point margin, respectively, and this was the perfect revenge.

Julius Randle played a big role in that revenge by scoring 24 points through 9-15 (60.0%) field goals, 2-5 (40.0%) 3-pointers, and 4-4 (100%) free throws. If that wasn’t enough, he also recorded 4 rebounds and 3 assists. The same player who had a plus/minus rating of -15 in Game 2 held a rating of +38 in Game 3. Unfortunately, after what fans saw in Game 4, that feat seemed to have been only a 1-time thing.

Julius Randle and the Timberwolves squad adopted a different mindset in Game 3. Now, that same thing will be needed again. The player has already made it clear that if things were to go sideways, he cannot blame Chris Finch. After all, he didn’t do it for the recent loss.

Julius Randle spares Chris Finch from blame after Game 4 loss

During the post-game Q&A session, Julius Randle was asked what he thought the OKC squad did to put on an efficient defense and keep him at bay. The power forward truthfully admitted that he doesn’t know, and that a lot of the game was spent with him just “spectating”. Randle revealed his desire to figure out a way to get himself more involved in actions. After all, he wasn’t quick to take his initial shots in the quarters. He added that “I got to figure out a way to get myself in position to be more aggressive, um, rather than just like standing, spectating, or, you know, trying to crash the glass or, you know, or I can just find other little things to do as well”.

When he phrased his words like that, it would make one believe that Randle’s not being in the right position was the coach’s fault. However, the player denied that by stating, “Uh, I would always take the responsibility for myself. I got to figure it out first”.

These remarks by Julius Randle came only a few days after NBA legend Charles Barkley took a shot at the Timberwolves’ head coach. His main reason for doing so, ironically, involved Julius Randle himself. After scoring 28 points in Game 1, the power forward finished with just 6 points on 2-of-11 shooting. Randle struggled so badly in the game that Finch benched him in the 4th quarter. This caused Barkley to state, “He played great in Game 1, and he had a tough night (in Game 2). But the coach overreacted. And the one thing you don’t want to do (is) you’re home in a must-win situation … you can’t take his confidence in a must-win game.”

Therefore, some people out there might be blaming Chris Finch for Julius Randle’s lapse in Game 4. However, as the player himself admitted, he has to fix things by himself. After all, another loss, and it won’t matter who was at fault.

Do you believe Julius Randle can turn things around in Game 5? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.