Julius Randle took accountability for his struggles following the Minnesota Timberwolves’ narrow 128-126 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
Speaking postgame, Randle admitted his difficulty finding rhythm on offense, drawing parallels to his earlier performance in Game 2.
“I think it’s similar to Game 2,” Randle said. “They’re just sitting around spectating… offensive rebounds and turnovers feels like were really hurtful tonight.”
The Timberwolves were outrebounded on the offensive glass and committed 21 turnovers, giving the Thunder 20 more shot attempts over four quarters.
Randle explained that Minnesota’s defensive rotations—especially when defending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—left them vulnerable to second-chance opportunities.
“When he shoots, you’re not necessarily boxing out your man,” Randle said. “They were just quicker to the ball than us.”
He also acknowledged the team let a potential win slip away despite being within two points late in the game.
“You’re on the home court. You want to defend home court. So yeah, for sure,” Randle said. “It’s all about moving forward.”
Randle finished with five points on 1-for-7 shooting and five turnovers in 28 minutes, saying he needs to assert himself more in the offense.
“I didn’t take my first shot in the second half till like 20 seconds in the third quarter,” he said. “I got to figure out a way to get myself in position to be more aggressive.”
Asked if that was on him or the coaching staff, Randle responded without hesitation.
“I would always take the responsibility for myself. I got to figure it out first.”
While he noted some of the turnovers were borderline or situational, Randle stressed the importance of managing pressure at the top of the floor.
“They put a lot of pressure at the top of the floor… I think we can flatten the defense out a little bit more,” he said. “Not have so many bodies up there.”
Looking ahead to Game 5 in Oklahoma City, Randle emphasized the need for urgency.
“We got no choice,” he said. “We got to give it our all and go from there.”
He also credited Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Donte DiVincenzo for their bench contributions, combining for 44 points and hitting five threes apiece.
“They were ready,” Randle said. “Knocked down their looks and did a lot of little things as well… Na played extremely hard on the defensive end too.”
With the Timberwolves now down 3-1 in the series, Game 5 at Paycom Center presents a win-or-go-home scenario against a Thunder team 7-1 at home this postseason.
