The Timberwolves led Phoenix for less than 15 seconds in Sunday’s game, yet they left Target Center 120-117 winners after Julius Randle’s three-pointer at the final buzzer.
Timberwolves sink Phoenix Suns on Julius Randle’s last-second three-pointer
After trailing from the first basket to the final 69 seconds, the Timberwolves defeated a Phoenix team that lacked key players but had Devin Booker, who scored 44 points.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
November 18, 2024 at 11:15AM
It set off a celebration from high in the arena’s second level to Randle’s family waiting to greet him courtside after teammates Mike Conley and Anthony Edwards first got their chance.
Included was Randle’s youngest son, Jayce.
“They’re my pride and joy,” the new Wolves forward said about his family. “My youngest, he really never comes to games. This maybe is his second game that he has come to. He hates them. It’s too loud. He don’t like it. He don’t like it at all. My oldest is always here. For my youngest to be here and to hit the shot, it’s pretty cool.”
The Suns played without injured stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal and with game-time decision Grayson Allen. Oklahoma City and Sacramento had blitzed the Suns to start their past two games, and new Phoenix coach Mike Budenholzer relied upon his players’ professionalism to do better.
The Suns did this time, leading 10-2 early, by 15 points late in the first quarter and by 16 before halftime. They did so with healthy star Devin Booker — Edwards’ Olympic teammate this past summer in Paris — scoring 44 points with six three-pointers and nearly winning the game mostly by himself. Two nights earlier, Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox scored 60 points against the Wolves in an NBA Cup game.
“Book, he’s been doing that his whole career,” Edwards said. “He was hard tonight to guard. He was the only real threat on the floor, as far as creating his own shot. He had it going.”
Randle scored 35 points himself and made five three-pointers. Only one of them came in the fourth quarter.
And it came with no time left. Randle got it off with about 0.4 seconds remaining.
The Wolves trailed by seven with less than four minutes to play but finished on a 13-3 run, scoring the game’s final five points in its final 46 seconds. Jaden McDaniels’ thunderous dunk helped get them there, as did Edwards’ seven points down the stretch, leading to a 117-117 tie.
The Wolves defense buckled down at the end, and then Randle took them home.
“That’s what I’m proud of, really,” coach Chris Finch said. “Guys found a way to hang in there. A lot of opportunities to hang your head out there. It’s a little bit of a microcosm of our season so far. We just got to find a way to keep battling and eking out some results until we can catch the rhythm we know is there.”
Randle said Finch, with 2.7 seconds left after a timeout, called a play intended for Edwards to curl, looking for Edwards and the ball to come together near the rim. Secondary option: Randle flashing back to the ball looking for a step-back shot.
Randle appeared to make contact with former Wolves player Josh Okogie, who fell to the floor seeking an offensive foul call.
“He couldn’t even get a contest because he fell,” Randle said. “So I was like, just stay in it, take my time and get a good shot. I’ve taken that shot a thousand times.”
Edwards said he has seen it all before from the former Kentucky star, acquired from the Knicks with Donte DiVincenzo and a conditional first-round pick in the trade just before the season for All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns.
“That’s what he do, man,” Edwards said. “Every time we played him when he was in New York, he always cooked us, and Finchy does a great job telling him, ‘Hey, get back to it. Take control of the game.’ And that’s what he did tonight.”
The Wolves beat the Kings 130-126 in overtime Friday, then flew home Saturday and played an afternoon game Sunday for a prime-time European television audience.
“We just got off the road and a 2:30 game,” Edwards said. “I think everybody was sleepy out there. I’m not making excuses, but we were sleepy. It was an early game, and it took a little bit to get our juices flowing.”
When they finally did, there was just enough time left to celebrate Randle’s winning shot.
“The fun part is to see all my teammates celebrate,” Randle said. “Everybody is all the way in together, a very connected group, and we all celebrate each other’s success. To me, that’s the best part.”
Ant pays up
The NBA on Sunday fined Edwards $35,000 for making an on-court obscene gesture late in the first quarter Friday in Sacramento.
Remembering
The Wolves before the game held a moment of silence to remember longtime NBA scout Brent Haskins. The son of former Gophers coach Clem Haskins and former Wolves assistant coach was 51.
Conley, Gobert experienced emotional nights returning to places they called home for several seasons.
