Minnesota needs to match Denver's physicality.
The Minnesota Timberwolves knew the Denver Nuggets weren't going to make things easy in this first-round playoff series, and Game 1 proved exactly that.
Denver took a 116-105 win on Saturday at Ball Arena, and while the Timberwolves showed fight, they couldn't close the gap when it mattered most.
Julius Randle finished with 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting, seven rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes, and spoke after the loss about how the physical nature of the game wore on the team.
"We were all tired, worn out. It's a physical game, but that's winning time and you got to dig deep," Randle said. "That's what all the extra reps and physically you prepare your body for."
Randle's Game 1 Wasn't Enough
It wasn't a terrible night for Randle, but it wasn't the version of him the Timberwolves need against a Nuggets team that has now won 13 straight.
During the regular season, Randle averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game across 79 appearances for the 49-33 Wolves, and he was even better against Denver specifically, putting up 24.0 points and 6.0 assists in four meetings.
Game 1 didn't match that standard, especially from behind the arc where he went 0-for-3.
The 42 fouls called tell the story of how physical things got, and Randle himself picked up a late technical as frustrations boiled over.
Minnesota built an early 12-point lead but watched Denver rip off a 17-2 run in the third quarter to flip the game.
The Timberwolves clawed back to within two at 97-95 midway through the fourth, but Nikola Jokic answered with a personal 5-0 run that included an and-1 layup over Rudy Gobert.
Minnesota Needs More From Randle on Both Ends
For the Timberwolves to have any real shot in this series, Randle has to be more than a secondary option who floats through stretches.
Anthony Edwards led the team with 22 points but was clearly dealing with rust after missing time late in the season with a knee issue, and that makes Randle's role even bigger.
When Edwards isn't at full strength, someone has to carry some of that offensive weight, and Randle is the most equipped player on the roster to do it.
Defensively, Randle needs to be more engaged for longer stretches.
Denver's offense thrives on movement and passing, and when the Wolves get tired and give up switches, Jokic and Jamal Murray eat them alive.
Murray finished with 30 points while going 16-for-16 from the free throw line, and a lot of that damage came when Minnesota's defense softened in the middle quarters.
Randle's comments about digging deep and being prepared physically are the right words, but Game 2 on Monday night is where those words need to turn into action.
The Nuggets aren't going to slow down, and if the Wolves fall behind 2-0 heading back to Minnesota, the hill only gets steeper.