‘I gotta shoot more’ Anthony Edwards & Julius Randle Talk Game 1 Loss vs. OKC | 2025 NBA Playoffs

‘I gotta shoot more’ Anthony Edwards & Julius Randle Talk Game 1 Loss vs. OKC | 2025 NBA Playoffs

And what did you uh feel like was working? It’s crazy. And what did you feel like was working offensively for you guys uh in this game when it was working and when the offense got a little stuck? What uh what were you running into? What was working? Um just making the right play. um taking our shots. Yeah, I think that was pretty much what was working in the first half. Julius, uh in the the first half, I think at 20 um and really aggressive shot was going in. Um what what is did they adjust to you at all in the second half? Um or what changed for you half to half offensively? Uh, I don’t I don’t really think they did anything different other than uh just try to run me off the three-point line uh a little bit. Um, I mean, that was really the only thing different. I mean, their defense is the same. They’re heavy gaps, you know, boxes and elbows. Um, so I don’t really think they did anything different. You know, they just tried to get me off the three-point line, off my catch and shoots, and I mean, that was it. getting downhill me and both both of y’all. Question for both of y’all. Um getting downhill is kind of me, you know, strong suit, you know, from the last two series and even just, you know, kind of you guys’ identity. What did you feel like, you know, with their size coming into this matchup was the the biggest adjustment that you guys had to make given that you guys only had 20 points in the paint this game coming off of, you know, 72 versus Golden State game five? Uh I mean, they clog the paint. That’s what they do. Um, they don’t got much size down there. So, they bank on us not making shots, I guess, cuz every time I go to the rim, it’s like four people in the paint. So, yeah, I guess they just be clogging the paint. They put like five, four bodies in the paint, make you kick it out. So, just keep making the right play. Julius, what do you think changed defensively for you guys in the in the second half or or was it just a matter of them hitting more shots uh in the second half? Uh, I mean the the first half, what was it? 48 44. So, I mean, it wasn’t like it was a shootout in the first half, you know what I mean? So, it’s just even if we’re not making shots, we still got to defend at a high level. And, um, I mean, we gave him 32 in the third and then the fourth it got away from us obviously and gave him 38. But, um, whether it’s misses or makes, we still got to defend at a high level. And I think that was probably the difference in the second half. Obviously, we didn’t shoot the ball as well as we wanted to tonight, you know. Um, but regardless of that, um, I mean, we really held them to 100 points into like the end of the game obviously where, you know, they made some baskets. So, we got to we got to defend at a at a at a little bit better uh level in that in that third quarter. A and uh Dante was saying in the locker room that seemed like they were throwing different looks at you guys every other possession on offense. Just how did it make it hard for hard for you to read or hard for the team to read or just how did you kind of process their their defense? Uh yeah, I mean it was hard to process cuz he right it was different. It was kind of it was different every time. I mean heavy in the gaps sometimes trap the ball screen, sometimes don’t. Sometimes just run and jump. It’s kind of similar to like AAOU. They remind me of like a AAU defensive team. Just run and jump um fly around. So, it was pretty good. Good to um get it out our system in game one, you know. So, we’ll be ready for game two. We should be ready. Seems like one of the turning points in the game was when Jaden got his third and fourth fouls early in the third quarter. Did his absence affect you guys on either end of the court, do you think? Yeah. Hell yeah. I mean, he’s the best defender we got and um they usually put the five on him and we play through him in the pocket. Um he makes the right play over and over again and he’s super aggressive. So when he’s not on the floor definitely hurts for sure. Is there anything about their style of play that is wearing over the course of a 48 minute game where you know maybe you can handle it in the first half but they keep coming with that style. It gets tougher as the game goes on. Um no not really. Uh, I just got to I definitely got to shoot more. I only took 13 shots, but um I’ll say probably just get off the ball a little more, play without the ball. I think that’ll be the answer cuz playing on the ball, they just going to double and sit in the gaps all day. So, got to go watch some film and pick it apart. We’ll figure it out. Did your ankle affect your shooting at all? Julius and just mentioned that, you know, it was good to get it out in game one. It was kind of similar situation against the Warriors. I mean, what do you draw from that, if anything, the way you guys were able to bounce back against them and take that ser? Uh, we prove that we can do it. Uh, but we got to make it happen, too. You know, we can’t just be like, “All right, we did it last year, so, you know, I mean, we going to do it again.” Like, this is a great team. They’ve been playing great basketball all year. So, I mean, we good thing is we proved to oursel that we can do it, but, you know, we got to make it happen. And I know you said that the the angle’s not bothering you, but of those 13 shots, you only took one in the paint all night. Is that more just the defense that they’re throwing at you or seeing something different? The explosiveness, that’s not what we’re used to seeing from you. Yeah. Um, yeah, they’re just in the gaps. Yeah, it was kind of hard to get to the paint honestly. I mean, regardless of that’s my game, but they definitely took that aspect of my game away tonight from getting downhill. So, good job to those guys. And then Nauseates in the locker room. He just felt like he liked the shots that he was getting, that Dante was getting, that uh Nquille was getting. They just weren’t falling. So, as the two guys are sort of the the leaders of this group, do you say something to them after this or is it just keep shooting? Yeah, they good. They know. Um they got great looks, just couldn’t make them. A lot of them went in and out. Um and that’s going to help us. Me, that’s going to help me and J. um you know cuz they usually make those shots so we’re not really worried about them making shots. Yeah, they’ll be all right. Julius, was it as simple as they started making shots and you guys had trouble making shots? What was the difference from the first half to the second half? Uh I mean, yeah, that um you know, I said it before, our defense uh in the second half, you know, giving them what was that 35 a quarter, you know, we can’t do that. Um, you know, I’m always going to hold myself accountable. Five turnovers, it’s way too much. I can’t do that. Uh, so I mean, we can say it’s misses and makes. Um, and it is a miss and make league, but regardless, we got to defend at a high level. And, um, especially on the road. Especially on the road. So, yeah. A, this is only your guys’ third loss of the postseason. I remember after the first loss against the Lakers, you said you were a little bit confused. news member that was like, “Oh, it’s like a zone.” Um, after the loss against the Warriors, you said you unders post game, you’re like, “I understood what I need to do next game to uh apply it.” Where are you kind of on that that spectrum? Like, do you feel like you know what the answers are to attack it? Um, yeah, next game. Yeah, I feel great. Yeah. Um, yeah, just sit in the gaps and double team all day, so should be all right. Play without the ball a little more, get a little more cardio in. Should be good. Thanks, guys. Thank you.

Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle’s press conference after the Timberwolves loss to the Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

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