Longtime ESPN insider Brian Windhorst was on the latest episode of Pardon My Take and he was asked about Minnesota's long-term future if they aren't able to come back against Okla

Julius Randle's departure from the New York Knicks marked more than just a trade; it was a release. After six emotionally taxing years in Madison Square Garden, Randle admitted what many had long suspected: the grind of playing under the New York spotlight was mentally and emotionally draining.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in a steely performance befitting the NBA MVP and the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped back from a 42-point loss by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 128-126 in Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.

What happened to Julius Randle in Games 2 and 4 against the Thunder? Randle was a rockstar against the Lakers in the first round and he dominated the Warriors in the conference semifinals — so much so that he was clearly Minnesota's MVP of that series.