Mizutani: All aboard the Julius Randle bandwagon. It’s taking the Timberwolves where they want to go.

There was a watershed moment for Julius Randle on Wednesday night at Target Center After finishing through contact on a fastbreak shortly before halftime Randle was getting ready to shoot a free throw when he stopped for a minimal seconds raised his hand skyward and implored the home crowd to give him more The fans in attendance happily obliged rising to their feet and showing their love with a deafening roar The scene wouldn t have seemed feasible a inadequate months ago when Randle existed mostly as a punching bag for fans as they begrudgingly accepted that he was the replacement for longtime face of the franchise Karl-Anthony Towns The sometimes clunky style of play from Randle didn t help his approval rating as he tried to find his niche with the Timberwolves It felt like a marriage that was well on its way to a divorce That s no longer the event as Randle was the best competitor on the floor for the Timberwolves throughout their - series win over the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals He averaged points rebounds and assists proving himself as a dominant force that consistently put pressure on the rim a secondary ball handler that helped initiate the offense when called upon and a calming presence that continued to step up in several of the biggest moments A microcosm of those things were on display in the decisive Match as Randle paved the way for the Timberwolves in a - win over the Warriors They were going to make us earn it Randle disclosed We came out with the right approach It started with Randle as he was clearly on his championship from the onset whether he was bullying his way into the paint knocking down shots from beyond the arc or creating for others off the bounce If Anthony Edwards is Batman for the Timberwolves then Randle is Robin though reducing him to a sidekick might not be accurate Not when Randle himself has started to drive winning as an invaluable piece to the puzzle It s incredible to be his teammate Edwards disclosed He brings it every night He shows us that he wants to win I m happy to have him next to me The turning point for Randle came midway through this season when he suffered a groin injury that resulted in him missing a month of action Not only did that give him a chance take a step back and watch the meeting from afar to see where exactly he fit in it also underscored the importance of using his voice and taking on a leadership role that has continued to shine upon his return After I came back my mindset was How can I help this gang win ' Randle reported It s as simple as that Though his stats were relatively similar before the groin injury and after the groin injury Randle looked like a utterly different athlete as he unveiled a way to play in rhythm on offense while also ratcheting up the intensity on defense I was steadfast in my belief that Julius was going to help this gang when it mattered preponderance Chris Finch mentioned I never really doubted that fact He was exactly the sportsman that could help us in moments like this We just had to get to moments like this As he reflected on his improvement this season Randle credited Finch with empowering him to tap into his complete skill set He s done an amazing job of allowing me to use all my tools Randle noted He s really opened up my contest That has gone a long way in the fans accepting Randle as their own Fittingly as the final seconds ticked off the clock Randle pumped up the home crowd once again with the Timberwolves having secured a spot in the Western Conference Finals It felt like the fans were cheering for him individually as much as they were cheering for the unit as a whole Related Articles Timberwolves down Warriors in five games to get back to West Finals Frederick Timberwolves bypassed lottery balls in are better for it Timberwolves aim to maintain urgency with chance to close out Curry-less Warriors Warriors seek formula to save season Without Steph the contest changes When would the Timberwolves start the Western Conference Finals