Julius Randle faced rare public criticism from Chris Finch following the Minnesota Timberwolves’ loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
Minnesota lost a late lead after giving up key offensive rebounds, including one that led to a go-ahead three by Jerami Grant.
The Wolves allowed 18 offensive boards, while Randle, averaging a career-low 6.8 rebounds, had just three defensive rebounds.
“All we gotta do, we’re up 104-103, and all we have to do is get a rebound and we can’t,” Finch said. “There’s like a lag time from the time the shot goes and we take a breath and we look up. They’re flying around and we’re delayed in our reactions. It’s been that way for a while. It’s just not good enough.
“We knew our guards needed to rebound. Ayo (Dosunmu) did a good job on the defensive glass. Rudy (Gobert) did a good job, but after that, we’ve got to have more rebounding. Julius has three defensive rebounds. That’s not good enough. It’s just not good enough.”
Despite their strong relationship, Finch’s comments reflect urgency as Minnesota fights for playoff position. Randle agreed with the assessment.
“Just gotta go get the ball,” Randle said. “Sometimes it’s not tactical or all that stuff. We just gotta go get the ball out of the air. They are quicker to the ball than us right now. We shouldn’t lose games from rebounding.”
Chris Finch called out Julius Randle's rebounding effort after the Wolves' loss on Friday. Story: https://t.co/JXz77lJigx
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) March 22, 2026
