Julius Randle’s triple-double helps Wolves beat Warriors in Game 3

Julius Randle scored a triple-double against the Golden State Warriors, which helped Minnesota Timberwolves take a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference semifinals with a 102-97 win on Saturday night.

Randle ended the game with 24 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, becoming only the second player in Minnesota playoff history to record a triple-double, after Kevin Garnett.

Randle had also scored 24 points and 11 assists in the second game of the series against the Dubs.

“I feel like I just got a lot of different tools, you know what I mean?” Randle said. “It’s really about using my mind and taking what the defense gives me. If they don’t double-team me, score. If they double-team me, find my guys.”

Anthony Edwards also showered praise on Julius Randle and said the latter was able to stand tall to the team’s expectations.

“He was incredible, man. Finding everybody on cuts. Finding the open guy time after time. Pushing the pace,” Edwards said of Randle after scoring 28 of his game-high 36 points in the second half. “That’s what we asked of him, and he’s been doing it at a high level. Can’t ask for nothing better. He’s making the game a lot easier for me, so I appreciate having him here.”

Jaden Mcdaniels said it is not easy to guard a player like Randle. 

“They put the big dude on him, he’s too slow. They put the little guy on him, he’s too strong. So, it’s a hard problem for the other team to guard him,” said McDaniels, who was dominant in his own right with 15 points while also holding Warriors players to 2-for-12 shooting as their primary defender.

On the other hand, the Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was happy with the way his team played despite the loss and gave credit to the opposition.

“I felt good about the way the game went tonight; we just couldn’t close it out,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Give them credit. They made all the plays in the fourth, and Randle and Edwards really got going, and we just couldn’t quite overcome them once we got down.

“The [new] formula [without Curry] looks good. We’ll have some adjustments to make. But I like the matchup. I like what we’re doing.”

The fourth game of the series will be played on Monday.