NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: TIMBERWOLVES VS WARRIORS

May 12, 2025

Julius Randle

Ky Randle

Minnesota Timberwolves

Game 4 - Postgame Media Conference

Minnesota Timberwolves 117, Golden State Warriors 110.

Q. Julius, you got off to a height start tonight while everyone else was trying to find their way into the game. How important was it for you to set that stone and just make sure you could keep the thing afloat while everyone else was joining up with you?

JULIUS RANDLE: Super important.

Always think for us as a team when we get off to good starts, it kinds of sets the tone for us as a team for the game. Always come out with the mindset of trying to be aggressive early, whether that's me scoring or getting my teammates involved. I mean, that's just really my mindset, how important it is for the team.

Q. What did you find as a group collectively that allowed you to blow the doors open?

JULIUS RANDLE: Our defense. They basically average 30 a quarter for the first half and we held them to 17 points in the third quarter. So I mean I think it was really as simple as our defense. We got stops and we were able to get out in transition, get some easy looks.

Obviously Ant went crazy in the third quarter, as well. He had multiple threes. So you know, that kind of gave us some good separation and we just got some consistent stops.

Q. You've talked to us over the course of the season about overcoming physical things. You had the injury coming into training camp and the groin in the middle of the season. What's the mental battle been like this season and to come out both physically and mentally, seem like you're in a really good spot?

JULIUS RANDLE: I don't know, man. I've battled through a lot in my career to be honest. I mean my first game in my career, I broke my leg, you know what I mean.

So I've been through a lot. I had a great mentor in Kobe. You know that didn't necessarily let me pout or get do you know on myself. His thing was always, what's next, how can you get better, how can you improve. Always took that mentality with me. I mean, growing up, my mom raised me to be a hard worker and not feel sorry for myself. I mean, I just think it's in my DNA and it's just a part of who I am.

I look forward to challenges, adversity, all that different type of stuff. There's room for growth.

Q. Along the same big picture lines, your first press conference in Minnesota, you talked about how with Coach Finch in New Orleans, he used you in ways; the best that you were used at that point in your career. And now all these months later, you've been given a bandwidth to utilize your entire skillset with a lot of quality teammates. What has that been like, that whole process of going through and being able to play all aspects of your game?

JULIUS RANDLE: It's been great. It's been great. Like you said from the beginning, I knew what type of coach Finch was and what type of basketball mind he was.

So I was extremely excited to get here and play for Coach. I think along the season, it was more about learning my personnel and the players that I'm playing with, and where they like the ball what they like to do, just tendencies and stuff like that.

It took me a bit to figure it out and adjust my game, but I think now we just kind of like are reaping the benefits of it and just being able to be utilized and do many different things on the court.

So I've always in my career prided myself on my versatility in being able to do everything on the court.

Q. Finch said Ant was really vocal at halftime and said you guys were playing like you were already won the series. On a night like tonight what is halftime like? Is it intense? Is it vocal? How did that produce the response you guys were looking for in the third quarter?

JULIUS RANDLE: It was extremely vocal. We were just talking about what we need to do better. I don't think it was like any panic or tension. It was who we are as a team. We're like, all right, we need to do this better. We need to play better defense. We weren't guarding anybody in the first half. That was first and foremost and that's where we hang our hat after. They had 60 in the first half and I think every game we have held them to under a hundred so far, if I'm not mistaken.

But we just knew that we had to turn it up a notch. We weren't executing the game plan. We weren't doing things with intention and you know full on effort and all those different type of things. We knew if we changed that, we can get control of game.

So we just couldn't take the opportunity that we had lightly. We had a chance to go 3-1 on their home court, Game 5, and have a chance to close out on our court. We've got to take advantage of these moments.

Q. How many times in this series, especially the last two games here, the Warriors have gone on runs and then you have a response. Is that something that you take pride in doing?

JULIUS RANDLE: I just try to be in tune and be in the moment of what's going on. I know if they are going on a run, try to settle in and get us good offense. I feel like if we turn the ball over it's important to come down next possession and get a good clean look or good shot.

They are a team that, like, you don't want to turn the ball over because that's how you know their shooters, like Buddy Hield and Podziemski and all those guys, or Kuminga, get easy looks in transition. You want to try to take care of the ball versus them, which we didn't do in the fourth quarter at all.

But yeah, I mean when they two on runs, just try to settle in. Get everybody to calm down and just get a good possession.

Q. Sounds like you're battling a sinus infection. Surprised at how you came out offensively on fire?

JULIUS RANDLE: Yeah, maybe I need to be sick more.

But yeah, I guess change of the season and all those different type of things bothering me a little bit.

My son here (Kayden), his eyes were swollen shut a couple days ago. So he was hurt, too.

But pulled through, handle business and I'll be fine.

Q. What do you like most about watching your dad play?

KY RANDLE: I like to hype him up, and I like to just watch him play and play his hardest.

Q. What do you tell him?

KY RANDLE: I don't know, I just tell him to lock in and play good. (Laughter).

Q. That's good advice. You have and Ant have provided so much production for this team. How do you think you push the team, whether be on the court, off the court demeanor, whatever?

JULIUS RANDLE: For me personally, I know it starts with us but it's Ant. Like Ant's the brightest star in the room and not just from what he does on the basketball court. It's his personality and how he brings everybody together. You know how you can communicate and just light up a room, you know what I mean. He has that it factor.

For me I always try to tell him to go be great. I tell him to go be great. I try to play off of that and make the game as easy as possible for him.

But it's really him. I said it from the beginning when I got traded here, like, he's special. He has a chance to be as great as he wants to be, you know what I mean.

So I just try to push him and challenge him and also be there for him any way I can because we only go as far as he goes, as he takes us, and you know, he's taken us pretty far right now.

Q. What's it like playing with Mike? Probably not too many people you pick up stuff from at this stage of your career but is he somebody that you have gained some stuff from?

JULIUS RANDLE: Yeah, I won't talk about how old he is today. But Mike, man, his presence is unbelievable, man. He's as steady as they come. You know, just his ability, I don't know if it's a point guard thing or if it's just Mike because his ability to communicate with everybody, each individual on the team in different ways, and bring the best out of everybody. I mean, how he competes every single night. You know, he's so versatile and does so many things and he's just a great basketball mind.

Besides like what he does on the court, like his leadership is unbelievable, and it's something that I've really learned from this year and been able to take and add to my game. But he's just a calming, settling presence for our team.