Randle knows how important Reid is.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are still alive in this Western Conference semifinal, and they probably should send Naz Reid a fruit basket.
Minnesota beat the San Antonio Spurs 114-109 at Target Center on Sunday night to tie the series at two games apiece, in a game that flipped upside down when Victor Wembanyama got tossed early in the second quarter for slamming an elbow into Reid's neck.
Most guys would have stayed down.
Reid walked it off, stayed in, and finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, and four assists off the bench.
After the buzzer, Julius Randle could not say enough about him.
A Postgame Tribute From Randle
"It was incredible. He's a warrior, you know, every time he's out there he's going to battle. For him to do that and then continue to make plays throughout the game, that was big for him. We needed every single one of them," Randle said.
Reid was not interested in stretching it into a moment.
"Pain is weakness in the body. That's it," he said.
Why Naz Reid Has Been So Important
Through four games against the Spurs, Reid is averaging 11.8 points and 7.4 rebounds.
He had 18 and nine in Friday's Game 3 loss before another nine-rebound night on Sunday.
His shooting pulls Wembanyama away from the rim, which is huge for Edwards' driving lanes, and his willingness to bang inside means Rudy Gobert is not fighting that war by himself.
The former Sixth Man of the Year is playing like that version of himself again.
Reid put up 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds for a 49-33 Wolves team that grabbed the six seed.
The toughness is what swung Sunday's game though.
Reid took the elbow, came right back, then later turned an ankle on a hard fall in the fourth quarter before still finding Gobert inside for a three-point play that flipped the momentum.
Randle Finds a Way to Help
Randle had a tougher night offensively, just 12 points and eight rebounds, but the play he'll remember most was the late dump-off to Gobert for the dunk that put Minnesota up 107-101 with under two minutes left.
He averaged 21.1 points and 5.0 assists this year, and the fact that he can still impact a game when his shot is not falling is part of why this team keeps surviving when one of their main guys has an off night.
Edwards led everyone with 36 points and was unbelievable down the stretch, but it took Reid, Gobert, Randle, and Ayo Dosunmu making winning plays in the closing minutes to close it out.
Game 5 is Tuesday in San Antonio with Wembanyama back.
The Wolves are going to need that same brotherhood Reid talked about Sunday one more time.
If they get it, they can still grab this series.
If not, things get rough in a hurry.