Randle Shines in Edwards' Absence as Timberwolves Overcome Suns for 116-104 Victory - Sportingpedia - Latest Sports News From All Over the World

Randle Shines in Edwards’ Absence as Timberwolves Overcome Suns for 116-104 Victory

Written by Pavel Kateliev

Pavel Kateliev is a popular sport journalist, particularly in the fields of football, basketball, tennis, and hockey. He writes daily for Sportingpedia and his work has been translated into at least 20 languages and featured on renowned outlets such as BBC, Yahoo, MCN, Sun, and Evening News, in Italian, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

, | Updated: March 18, 2026

Julius Randle scoring an easy basket against Phoenix Suns

Key Takeaways:

Julius Randle netted 32 points for the Timberwolves on Tuesday night, marking his second consecutive 32-point outing
Devin Booker led the Suns with 34 points but shot just 1-for-7 from beyond the arc during Phoenix’s third straight defeat
Timberwolves pulled ahead in the third quarter with a 16-2 run and are now 7-4 this season without All-Star Anthony Edwards

Match Overview

In Minneapolis on Tuesday evening, Julius Randle produced a standout performance by scoring 32 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves registered a 116-104 win against the Phoenix Suns. Randle’s efforts were complemented by Bones Hyland, who tallied 22 points off the bench, helping Minnesota manage without All-Star Anthony Edwards.

Ayo Dosunmu contributed 19 points and Rudy Gobert commanded the boards with 19 rebounds. The Timberwolves, who improved their record to 7-4 without Edwards this season, stayed level with Denver for fifth place in the Western Conference at 42-27. Edwards, the NBA’s third-leading scorer, is set to be sidelined for the next week or two due to knee inflammation.

BACK IN THE DUB COLUMN. pic.twitter.com/Hh50xwXAvI
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) March 18, 2026

How the Game Unfolded

Devin Booker posted a game-high 34 points for Phoenix but struggled from long range, converting only 1 of his 7 attempts from three-point territory. The Suns wrapped up their five-game road stretch with three consecutive losses, after falling to Boston 120-112 the previous night.

Phoenix competed without three of their top five scorers, as Grayson Allen (knee soreness) joined Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams on the injury list. Despite this, the Suns had pulled to within one game of the Timberwolves just five days earlier as both teams pursued a position above the play-in tournament cutoff. Phoenix did claim the season series 2-1 over Minnesota.

Key Moments and Player Contributions

Hyland played a crucial role in turning things around for Minnesota. After the Timberwolves fell behind by 11 points within the opening five minutes, Hyland closed the first quarter by draining a fadeaway three-pointer from the wing with 0.2 seconds remaining, narrowing the gap to 39-36. In the second quarter, following a steal from Jaden McDaniels off Royce O’Neale, Hyland capped a fast break with a layup to even the score at 59.

The Timberwolves seized momentum late in the third quarter, embarking on a 16-2 run to establish a lead they would not relinquish, with Randle sealing another outstanding 32-point performance.