Takeaways: Julius Randle scores 41 points as Timberwolves blitz Blazers 133-109

Nobody more typifies how up and down the Timberwolves can be emotionally than Julius Randle. He has admitted it, and this Wolves team knows there can be times where Randle is going through lulls in how he’s feeling.

But when he’s engaged and playing like he was in the 133-109 victory over Portland at Target Center on Wednesday night, Feb. 11, he helps unlock the potential the Wolves have to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Randle sent the Wolves into the All-Star break with his second consecutive good performance. A game after posting a triple-double, Randle finished with a season-high 41 points and seven rebounds against the Trail Blazers. He had 23 points in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

He put an exclamation point on the night with a monster jam as he crossed 40 points. The crowd rose to its feet as the Wolves called a timeout moments later, and his teammates mobbed Randle on the floor as he exited. After a rough couple of weeks to close out this portion of the schedule, the last two games were a needed injection of good vibes for the Wolves, who are 34-22.

Coach Chris Finch said perhaps Randle was down recently after he wasn’t named a Western Conference All-Star for Sunday’s game in Los Angeles.

When asked if that was the case, Randle said, “Maybe. I wasn’t invited to the cool kids’ table.”

“But it’s cool. I’ll go enjoy the beach with my family and worry about the most important thing, which is winning a championship. I’m focused on that, and it’s cool.

“I feel like I should’ve been there. But over the course of my career, I learn to focus on the things I can control,” Randle said. “I can’t control that. It is what it is. I can control how I help my team win games night in and night out. We got a great team here to compete at the highest level.”

BOX SCORE: Wolves 133, Trail Blazers 109

NBA standings

Jaden McDaniels has his All-Star break vacation plans booked. He and his good friend on the team, Naz Reid, are headed somewhere. Just where are they going?

“I’m chilling, man. … Can’t tell y’all, though,” McDaniels said before the game.

Unlike some NBA players, McDaniels resisted the urge to mail in the final game before his vacation. Instead, he was a driving force for the Wolves on both ends of the floor

If you watched McDaniels all night, you appreciated the physicality, energy and effort with which he played on both ends of the floor. If only this Wolves team channeled that every night, Minnesota might be higher in the Western Conference standings headed into the break. McDaniels helped shut down Avdija, who had 11 points on 3-for-14 shooting.

“That’s why I like guarding the best player,” McDaniels said. “It’s fun for me, I want to guard the best dude, it’s fun. They might score on me. I don’t care. But it’s a pride thing for me.”

On the offensive end, McDaniels got the Wolves going with 15 points in the first half, 21 overall. He also finished with six rebounds and six assists.

The Wolves mirrored McDaniels’ energy from the jump. In the first stretch of the game, they jumped out to a 16-9 lead by forcing four Portland turnovers.

The Wolves extended their lead to 14 by the end of the third quarter by getting Rudy Gobert involved in the offense. Gobert had 13 points in the quarter, seven at the free-throw line. In all, the Wolves were 14-for-18 from the line in the third.

The Wolves finished the night with 25 fast-break points, and the impact Ayo Dosunmu has had in this area already is evident. Dosunmu finished with 12 points and four assists as he helped handle the ball and get it out in transition. In each of these last two victories, Dosunmu has looked like a needed shot in the arm for what the Wolves need in this area.