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Julius Randle's buzzer-beater 3 sends Wolves to win over Suns

Randle finished with 35 points and seven assists in the victory.

Nolan O'Hara

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) sets a pick on Phoenix Suns center Mason Plumlee for guard Mike Conley as forward Ryan Dunn gives chase during the first quarter at Target Center in Minneapolis on Nov. 17, 2024.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) sets a pick on Phoenix Suns center Mason Plumlee for guard Mike Conley as forward Ryan Dunn gives chase during the first quarter at Target Center in Minneapolis on Nov. 17, 2024. / Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
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Julius Randle knew it was good the moment it left his hand.

Tied 117-117 with 2.7 seconds remaining, Joe Ingles — in his only seconds of game action — inbounded the ball to Randle, who was well beyond the 3-point arc. Randle took a dribble to the top of the key, stepped back on Josh Okogie, who fell to the floor as the ball left Randle's hands. The shot went in and the sold-out Target Center crowd erupted.

Randle's shot gave the Wolves a 120-117 walk-off victory over the Phoenix Suns Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.

Anthony Edwards and Mike Conley immediately surrounded Randle before the rest of the team joined in to celebrate.

"Really the fun part is just seeing my teammates celebrate," Randle said. "... We're a very connected group and we celebrate each others' success. For me, that was the coolest part."

Randle finished his day with 35 points, seven assists and four rebounds and his first career game-winner at the buzzer.

It was a special moment for Randle and the Timberwolves, and one that for a while, seemed like it'd never come to pass. The Wolves (8-6) trailed by as many as 16 points early, and they had no answer for Suns star Devin Booker, who scored a game-high 44 points. The Wolves cut their deficit to just a point on multiple occasions during the third and fourth quarters, but every time, it just felt like the Suns (9-5) had the answers, be it Booker stalling a run or one of his teammates.

"It was one of those games, coming back from the West Coast, early start, we just obviously didn't have it at the beginning," Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. "Just had to keep trying to keep the game as close as we possibly can until we can catch a rhythm, both offensively and defensively. And that's what I'm most proud of, really."

Eventually the Wolves found their answers while the Suns ran out of theirs. Edwards, who finished with 24 points and six assists, hit a pair of free throws to knot the game at 117-117 with 46.4 seconds remaining. Minnesota didn't just get one stop, it got three as the Suns kept the possession alive on the offensive glass, draining over 40 seconds off the clock.

First, Booker missed a 3-pointer, but he grabbed his own miss. Tyus Jones missed a 12-footer, but also found his own miss. Booker then missed another jumper. The Suns might've had that one, too, but the result was a shot-clock violation and Wolves possession, setting the stage for Randle's game-winner — and his second buzzer beater of the game.

Randle also drilled a 3-pointer as time expired just before halftime, cutting the Wolves' deficit to 64-54.

"They didn't really have a matchup for (Randle)," Finch said. "And we did a really good job and (Edwards) did a really good job of making sure that he got the ball and he didn't go extended periods of time without touching the ball."

Jones, a former Timberwolf, finished his day with 13 points and 11 assists.

Donte DiVincenzo, who was questionable coming into the game due to back spasms, found a groove offensively. He scored 15 points off the bench and shot 5 for 10 from 3-point range. Naz Reid added another 13 off the bench.

The Wolves were down six with a little over two minutes to go when Edwards hit a 3 that cut the deficit to 114-111. Jaden McDaniels threw down a monster slam after a Minnesota stop, making it a one-point game. After another stop, Edwards hit a jumper off the glass for a one-point Wolves advantage. Grayson Allen immediately answered with a 3 for the Suns.

The Suns were without Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal due to injuries, and Booker stepped up in their absence. He was the hot hand for Phoenix on a night the Wolves and Suns traded baskets and runs. Both teams shot over 50% from the field and over 40% from 3-point range. Minnesota's defense was lackluster for much of the night coming off the road swing.

But the Wolves stepped up when it mattered. And Randle did the rest.

"That's what he do. I mean, that's what he do, man," Edwards said of Randle. "Every time we play him, like when he was in New York, he always cooked us. Finchy does a great job of telling him like, 'Hey, get back to it. Take control of the game.' And he did that (Sunday)."

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Nolan O'Hara
NOLAN O'HARA

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