SI

Julius Randle Hit Shai Gilgeous-Alexander With a 'Too Small' Amid Game 3 Blowout

The Minnesota forward wasn't scared of the NBA MVP.

Mike Kadlick

Randle was awesome in Game 3.
Randle was awesome in Game 3. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
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Julius Randle was feeling himself during the Minnesota Timberwolves' 143-101 blowout of the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday night, pouring in 24 points on 9 for 15 shooting in the win. It was a far cry from his disastrous Game 2 performance that found him sitting on the bench down the stretch.

Amid a second-half surge from the 30-year-old power forward, he took it upon himself to challenge the Thunder's star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the paint. He scored on a mid-range jumper and began to jog back on defense before a timeout was called, which triggered him to direct the "too small" celebration towards the 2024-25 NBA MVP.

Here's a look:

Cold.

To make matters worse, Gilgeous-Alexander scored a season-low 14 points on just 4 for 13 shooting in the defeat.

Minnesota's win over OKC was a massive one, as they've closed the gap in the WCF and now only trail 2-1 in the series. Game 4 is set for Monday night from Minneapolis's Target Center, with tip-off scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EST.

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Mike Kadlick
MIKE KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He has a master's in public relations from Boston University. Kadlick is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.

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