Julius Randle

Players often speak about how much they miss the game after it gets temporarily taken away, but it’s safe to say that few put it to action as effectively as Julius Randle did on March 2, 2025. Fresh-legged, and eager to compete after a month-long absence, Randle compensates for lost time, racing from the 3-point arc’s top to the Phoenix Suns’ paint in pursuit of his teammate’s long-range misfire. Finding his possession-extending hustle play rewarded almost immediately after his save, Randle — almost ghost-like in his stance behind Phoenix’s interior defense — reaps benefits through a two-handed throwdown after his teammate’s heads-up feed. Likely understood, had he decided to merely migrate along the perimeter with the Minnesota Timberwolves ahead by 13 in the fourth, Randle created what his coach deemed “one of the plays of the game” in the blowout road win. In his typical game-changing form from the outset, Randle pieced together 20 points (on 8-of-14 shooting), six rebounds, three assists, and two 3-pointers.