In the NBA, some moments don’t need slow-mo or a highlight reel to hit. They just… linger. One camera angle. One wave. And suddenly, Julius Randle wasn’t just a struggling star in a blowout loss—he was every person who’s ever wanted to disappear in plain sight.
With 6:14 left in the fourth quarter of what was quickly becoming a slow-motion car crash of a Western Conference Finals game, cameras caught Randle—clearly not vibing with how things were going—waving toward the courtside seats. Not at a teammate. Not at a ref. Nope. At his family. As if to say, “Y’all don’t need to see any more of this. Let’s just… call it.”
That’s the thing about the playoffs: They don’t just test your talent—they put your pride on national display.
Julius just told his family to LEAVE! 6:14 left on the clock (I cut the video bc I didn’t want to show his kids) #aurabowl pic.twitter.com/DQ3B6aAkcr
— Big Rex (@rexkwondo54) May 23, 2025
Lets rewind, Julius Randle came into this series cooking—fresh off a Game 1 masterclass (28 points, 8 boards), playing like the Knicks traded him just to set him free. He was hitting, facilitating, and finally getting flowers after years of up-and-down postseason narratives. But then came Game 2, and OKC’s defense arrived like rent. Shai and Co. smothered him into irrelevance: 6 points on 2-of-11 shooting, 4 turnovers, zero rhythm, and 32 minutes of “Is he okay?” energy.
By the fourth quarter, Chris Finch made the call: sit Julius. The Wolves needed space, shooting, and someone—anyone—not freezing cold. So Randle, the team’s most playoff-tested vet, got benched. Not hurt. Not in foul trouble. Just… benched. Then came the wave. A simple gesture—but if you’ve lived through public failure, you know that wasn’t just a wave. That was, “I got nothing tonight. No miracle run. No saving face. You don’t need to see me like this.”
It hit different. Because these games? They’re not just stats—they’re theater. Real-time heartbreak. NBA Twitter lit up. Some called it soft. Others speculated about trades and locker room vibes. But under the noise was something raw: a man swallowed by the moment, pride dented, lights still on.
Julius Randle’s struggles and what it means for Game 3
The guy wasn’t just off — he was ice-cold, and not in the good way. After carving up defenses with surgical precision all postseason, Randle’s 6-point dud felt like watching Darth Vader deliver the iconic “No, I’m your father” line — except instead of shock and awe, all we got was a collective “Wait, what?” from Luke and every Timberwolves fan watching. Consequently, what should’ve been legendary instead left everyone scratching their heads.
Moreover, Coach Chris Finch pulled the plug early, benching his prized power forward for the entire fourth quarter. That’s not just a tactical move — that’s a public “figure it out, or sit it out” moment wrapped in coaching-speak.
Meanwhile, Naz Reid got a chance to show some hustle on the glass and keep the Wolves ticking. Nevertheless, let’s be real — he’s no Julius Randle. After all, the Thunder, led by the freshly crowned MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, weren’t just playing defense; they were sending a message. Shai dropped 38 points with MVP swagger, thereby making Minnesota’s big guns look like they were stuck in slow motion. Oh, and did we mention that defensive bruisers Lu Dort and Jalen Williams locked down the Wolves so hard that their 41.4% shooting was almost generous? Indeed, Minnesota was left trying to find daylight through a brick wall.
Anthony Edwards, on the other hand, gave it his all, chucking up 26 shots to get his 32 points, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker did his best impression of a scoring spark with 17. However, when your star forward is watching from the bench instead of taking over, you’re basically trying to win a street fight with your hands tied behind your back.
Now it’s back to the Target Center, where the Timberwolves have been good — 4-1 this postseason — but the question hanging over Game 3 like a storm cloud is: Which Julius Randle shows up? Will it be the dominant force who carved up defenses like a butcher, or the man who watched helplessly as Shai’s MVP celebration turned into a highlight reel on their backs?
Randle himself admits he was “standing and spectating,” which might be the most polite way of saying he was flat-out invisible. Thus, this isn’t just a dip in shooting percentages; it’s a mental freeze at the worst possible time. Therefore, if Finch’s choice to bench him in crunch time wasn’t a wake-up call, then what is?
Ultimately, Game 3 is more than a bounce-back opportunity. It’s a crossroads. So will Julius Randle shake off the rust and lead the Wolves’ fight back, or will this series start slipping through their fingers, one missed shot and one benching at a time? The Target Center crowd will be watching — and so will the entire NBA Twitterverse.
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