Julius Randle kept the focus on process over panic as the Minnesota Timberwolves prepared for Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs, stressing that the offense is creating looks that can hold up even under playoff pressure.
“Yeah, that’s what coach said. Feel like it was repeatable,” Randle said, pointing to the shot quality Minnesota generated in Game 3. “We got a bunch of good shots, so just going to try to knock them down this game for sure.”
The Timberwolves forward leaned into the idea that the structure is working, even if the results have fluctuated against Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio’s size.
“It’s not really about the results,” Randle said. “Obviously right now it’s about the results, you want to win, but the process of things, we feel like we like what we did. I feel like we’ll make those shots more than we’ll miss them.”
Minnesota’s approach has leaned more heavily into spacing and perimeter creation as the series has progressed. That shift was evident in Game 3, where the Wolves repeatedly tried to pull the Spurs’ defense away from the rim before attacking downhill.
Randle said that adjustment fits his game. “It’s fine for me. I like it. It doesn’t bother me at all,” he said. “I like five-out spread offense, being able to drive and kick and stuff like that.”
The challenge, as Randle explained, is obvious when Wembanyama is anchored in the paint. “It’s obviously different when you got somebody 7’6” out there,” he said. “We know he’s down there, he’s going to block shots. So we got to use that against him in a way.”
That “way,” according to Randle, is tied to spacing discipline and timing. Minnesota’s staff has emphasized positioning and early reads against San Antonio’s defensive scheme, which forces decisions before the help fully arrives.
“Playing smarter basketball,” Randle said. “We feel like we found something that we can deem as repeatable shots that we can get to every possession if we just play smarter.”
The margins have defined the series so far, with Minnesota’s late-game execution proving costly in Game 3. Randle acknowledged that breakdowns in specific moments have been the difference.
“Games are won within the margin, especially the later you go in the playoffs,” he said. “Few things, game plan mistakes that we made down the stretch that we got to clean up.”
He added that those corrections came quickly through film work, with Minnesota aiming to stabilize its late-game decision-making heading into Sunday.
“A couple things that happened throughout the game, things we got to limit,” Randle said. “Simple stuff. I won’t say too much, but there’s definitely things within the margins and specific things from the game plan that we feel like we can be better at.”
Despite the pressure of the matchup and Wembanyama’s rim protection altering shot profiles across the series, Randle insisted his physical condition is not a concern.
“Honestly, I feel great. Waking up mentally and physically, I feel amazing,” he said. “Especially at this time of year, this is the best I’ve felt from a physical standpoint.”
When asked about the Spurs’ defensive identity and how Minnesota adapts to it, Randle framed it as a tactical puzzle rather than a mismatch.
“They play a certain style of defense, so you just kind of got to use it against them,” he said. “It’s fun, just trying to figure out the pieces to the puzzle of each one.”
With Minnesota trailing in the series and facing another defining game in Minneapolis, Randle’s message stayed consistent: the structure is there, the shots are there, and the belief is tied to repetition rather than reaction.
The Timberwolves now have to turn that confidence into execution against a Spurs team that has already shown it can close quarters, close games, and close series windows quickly.
