After the tense Game 1 loss, the Minnesota Timberwolves are set to face the Oklahoma City Thunder for a second time. Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves’ star, took center stage. The 23-year-old All-Star had rolled his ankle in the second half of the game, which put a dent in their 48-44 lead.
However, Edwards made a quick return to the game, scoring 18 points and 9 rebounds. Yet, it was not enough to make Minnesota win. He scored zero points in the fourth quarter. And while most focused on Edwards or SGA, Julius Randle showed a head-turning performance with 28 points. Randle has consistently held a record of 20 or more points in most of his games, averaging about 24.43 points per game.
Though the power forward will be returning to court, if the Wolves want to win, they can’t just be leaning on Randle. Chris Finch needs to revitalize their offense, at the moment, Reid, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Donte DiVincenzo, only shot 7 for 36. “We didn’t have a lot of patience,” Finch said. “Our rushed offense affected our defense. When we did get good looks they didn’t go down. We’ve got to pick up our decision-making and we’ve got to clean things up a little bit.”
Mar 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) shakes hands with forward Julius Randle (30) after making a shot against the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Minnesota needs to push in Game 2 to win, and while Anthony Edwards was underwhelming in Game 1, the injury reports suggest that he will be back tonight. Minnesota will also have its entire bench playing tonight as they face the Thunder. There have been no new names added to the injury report, other than OKC Thunder rookie Nikola Topic.
Will the Timberwolves make a comeback in Game 2?
Although the Thunder outperformed the Wolves in Game 1, both are top defensive squads. If Edwards overcomes his ankle injury, Minnesota has the possibility of making a comeback. He has averaged 25.7 points per game and stands as one of the league’s most dynamic players. And without him, the entire Minnesota defense collapses. Keeping all that in mind, let’s now see the possible starting lineups for tonight:
Point Guard
Shooting Guard
Small Forward
Power Forward
Center
Mike Conley Jr.
Anthony Edwards
Jaden McDaniels
Julius Randle
Rudy Gobert
Donte DiVincenzo
Nickeil-Alexander Walker
Jaylen Clark
Terrence Shannon Jr.
Naz Reid
Rob Dillingham
Tristen Newton
Josh Minott
Leonard Miller
Luka Garza
Bones Hyland
Joe Ingles
Jesse Edwards
On the other hand, the Thunder played a brilliant second half. They closed a deficit of 30 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the 2015 NBA MVP, finished with 31 points, and Jalen Williams recorded 19 points. No doubt the Thunder want a second win to keep their lead going. So, let’s see the starting lineups for the Thunder:
Point Guard
Shooting Guard
Small Forward
Power Forward
Center
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Lu Dort
Jalen Williams
Chet Holmgren
Isaiah Hartenstein
Cason Wallace
Alex Caruso
Isaiah Joe
Aaron Wiggins
Jaylin Williams
Ajay Mitchell
Adam Flagler
Alex Ducas
Kenrich Williams
Branden Carlson
Nikola Topic
Dillon Jones
Ousmane Dieng
Although it all remains a theory, we will find out the fate of Game 2 soon enough.
The post Is Julius Randle Playing Tonight vs Thunder? Timberwolves Injury Report in WCF Game 2 appeared first on EssentiallySports.