BBNBA: Randle and the Timberwolves maul the Thunder in Game 3

AdamStrattonKSR

bbnba-randle-and-the-timberwolves-maul-the-thunder-in-game-3 — Photo by Brad Rempel | Imagn Images

Julius Randle and his teammates must have taken a hot air balloon back to Minnesota or clicked the heels of their ruby red slippers a few times while repeating the mantra, “There’s no place like home,” because they looked infinitely better on their own court in Game 3. They put on a wizardry performance, dominating the Thunder from the opening tip on their way to a 143-101 win. They are still down 2-1 in the series, but they showed they have the heart, courage, and brains to make the Western Conference Finals competitive.

Randle had 24 points, four rebounds, and three assists in the rout, bouncing back from a disastrous Game 2 in Oklahoma. After the game, Anthony Edwards said of Randle, “He’s a vet, man… he knows how to respond, he knows not to take nothing too personal… He came in with the right energy in shootaround this morning. I could see it in his eyes, man. He wanted his respect back and he got it.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the former Wildcat star whose turn it was to have an off-night. The freshly-minted NBA MVP had just 14 points on 4-13 shooting while dishing out six assists. SGA is used to not playing the 4th quarter because of the score, but this time he sat the final frame due to the score for the wrong reason. The 42-point margin was the largest playoff defeat in OKC franchise history.

Similarly, Cason Wallace had a quiet night. He had just two points, both from the free throw line, and did not record an official field goal attempt.

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The blowout also yielded some playing time for Rob Dillingham. In his eight minutes on the court, he handed out four assists, good for second-most on the team. He also got into the scoring column, knocking down a free throw for his first career playoff point. Stay shifty, Rob.

Oklahoma City will have to melt away this wickedly bad performance from their memories and regroup for Game 4 on Memorial Day.

BBNBA Stats for 5/24/2025

Player	Score	PTS	FG (3PT)	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	P/M	MIN
Julius Randle (MIN)	143-101 W vs. OKC	24	9-15 (2-5)	4	3	0	0	0	+38	30
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)	101-143 L @ MIN	14	4-13 (2-5)	2	6	0	1	4	-32	28
Cason Wallace (OKC)	101-143 L @ MIN	2	0-0 (0-0)	1	1	0	0	0	-30	16
Rob Dillingham (MIN)	143-101 W vs. OKC	1	0-2 (0-1)	1	4	0	0	0	0	8