Reid credits Randle's defense on Wembanyama with igniting the Timberwolves' comeback win.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rallied from a 19-point deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 104-103 on Sunday night, and reserve big man Naz Reid made sure to give his teammate Julius Randle credit for taking on the difficult task of guarding one of the league's most dangerous players.
Reid on Randle's Defensive Effort
After the game, Reid spoke about how Randle's physical defense on Victor Wembanyama helped swing the momentum in Minnesota's favor during their fourth-quarter comeback.
"It was huge. Being able to get up under Wemby, make plays on the defensive side. Kudos to him," Reid said.
Wembanyama still finished with 29 points on 8-of-18 shooting, but Randle made things difficult for him when it mattered most and forced the Spurs star into tough contested looks throughout the second half.
Wembanyama was a plus-17 when on the floor, but he played only 27 minutes, and the Timberwolves were smart enough to take advantage of those stretches when he was on the bench.
Randle's willingness to get physical and contest Wembanyama's shots at the rim played a key role in keeping San Antonio from pulling away for good, and it set the tone for a defensive effort that held the Spurs to just 18 points in the fourth quarter.
The Timberwolves improved to 26-14 on the season with the victory, while the Spurs dropped to 27-12 after Minnesota erased a 19-point third-quarter deficit to complete one of their best wins of the year.
Reid and Randle Lead the Charge
Reid was a major factor in the comeback himself, posting a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench while continuing to make his case for a second straight Sixth Man of the Year award.
He is averaging 14.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game this season, and his jump shot in the fourth quarter that cut the deficit to 85-78 with just over nine minutes remaining helped spark the final push that put Minnesota in position to steal the game.
Randle added 15 points on the offensive end while doing the dirty work defensively against Wembanyama, and his two offensive rebounds and and-1 finishes in the fourth quarter helped swing momentum back to Minnesota while getting the Target Center crowd on its feet.
What a Win Like This Can Do for Confidence
Comebacks of this nature can be defining moments for a team's season, and the Timberwolves have now gone 16-6 since Thanksgiving while finding their identity as a group that refuses to quit no matter the circumstances.
Having someone like Randle willing to take on the challenge of guarding a generational talent like Wembanyama shows exactly what this team is made of and why they remain one of the most dangerous squads in the Western Conference.
Anthony Edwards led the team with 23 points and delivered the dagger when he hit a floater over Wembanyama with 16.8 seconds remaining to give Minnesota the 104-103 lead, while Donte DiVincenzo added 19 points to round out a balanced scoring effort that saw four Timberwolves finish in double figures.
Looking Ahead
The Timberwolves will be off on Monday before hitting the road to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday to kick off a four-game road trip, and they will face the Spurs again on January 17 in a rematch that gives Randle another shot at Wembanyama and gives Minnesota a chance to prove this comeback win was not a fluke.