The Minnesota Timberwolves bounced back from a frustrating season-opening loss against the Sacramento Kings. But like most road wins, this one didn’t come without anything Heart-pounding drama in Wolves. A pair of free throws by Anthony Edwards, who raced to the fence, proved to be the game-winning move for Minnesota. But they wouldn’t have gotten there without one of the new band members, Julius Randle. Didn’t start for Wolves.

Randle recorded 33 points on 13-of-17 shooting, 5 of 6 shooting, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. This was the perfect complement for Edwards, who finished with 32 points on 10-for-24 shooting, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal. But after Edwards iced the game at the line, had nothing but praise for his new teammate’s efforts against Sacramento.

We told him this morning, you don’t fit in with us, we’ll fit in with you,” Edwards said of Randle. “And he showed it to us today!”

Randle got Minnesota off to a start and helped them overcome a disorganized offense early. The Wolves had eight turnovers in the first quarter, but Randle made up for them with 11 points in the first quarter. He kept them afloat in the second quarter, scoring 11 more points to keep Minnesota ahead 59-55 at halftime.

How did Julius Randle save the Timberwolves against the Kings?

Overall, the Wolves were outscored by 12 points against the Kings. It was similar to Minnesota’s nearly three-out-of-four loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. A mix of mediocre defense and muddled offense could lead to the Timberwolves starting the season 0-2. This might have been the case had Randle not stepped up.

Randle was all over the floor in Minnesota’s offense after his mediocre performance against the Lakers. His aggression seemed much closer to that of the three-time All-Star in New York. While his teammates were scoring at a 34 percent clip, Randle made 8 of 10 shots, including four 3s, to keep the Timberwolves alive at halftime.

Once Randle took control of the offense, things started to open up for Edwards. The Kings focused on the star guard in the first half and tried to limit his opportunities. Randle stepping up allowed Sacramento to adjust in the second half, and that was all Edwards needed to recover and close out the game.

“That’s why he’s here,” Edwards said. “He did a tremendous job on this. We want him to continue doing this. Don’t think about passing the ball to anyone. Shoot him.”