The Target Center was juiced in the opening minutes for Minnesota’s home opener Sunday against Indiana.
Full-team player introductions, the return of the ever popular “trees” in Minnesota’s floor and jerseys and a new lights system set the mood for an electric vibe that Minnesota’s play reflected in the opening minutes as the Wolves jumped out to a 19-10 lead.
But then Anthony Edwards left the game with hamstring tightness and didn’t return. And Minnesota went into a multi-quarter lull.
Minnesota trailed Indiana at the half. Mind you, the Pacers were without Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, TJ McConnell and Benedict Mathurin. And they lost Obi Toppin in the first half to another injury. The Pacers were wiped off the floor a night earlier in Memphis.
And yet they were going punch for punch with the Wolves.
Thankfully for Minnesota, it had Julius Randle.
The team’s usual No. 2 scoring option put on his Batman cape Sunday to save the Wolves from impending disaster. Indiana didn’t have anyone who could hold up to Randle’s physicality, which allowed the forward to get to his spots every time down the floor.
When that’s the case, Randle is nearly impossible to stop.
He had 31 points and six assists to power Minnesota to a 114-110 victory.
“It was a calm place to go,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said of the forward’s hands.
The contest nearly slipped away from Minnesota late, as the Pacers generated one good look after another to stick around and keep the game close.
But Minnesota found enough points when it needed it. A Mike Conley-Rudy Gobert pick and roll ended in a Gobert flush. Jaden McDaniels scored at the rim amid a little chaos.
Gobert finished with 14 points and 18 rebounds, while Naz Reid added 16 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
The Wolves have much to still figure out. They’ve been largely unimpressive through three games for a team that was expected to hit the ground running.
But Minnesota is still 2-1 through the struggles.
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