The Suns crash in Minnesota

The Minnesota Timberwolves struggled against the Phoenix Suns this year, as the Suns won three out of the four games they played against them. The Suns were particularly successful in scoring lots of points, which was surprising since the Timberwolves were the best defensive team of the season. The Timberwolves conceded more points on average against the Suns than they did against the Celtics, who were the best-scoring team of the year. However, last night, Minnesota won comfortably (120-95) against the Suns, who seemed to be struggling throughout. Everything seemed wrong for the Suns, as they lacked physicality and depth, and their star player, Devin Booker, had a terrible game. Even Grayson Allen, the best three-point shooter of the season, had to leave the game due to physical problems. Jusuf Nurkic, another key player for the Suns, struggled to match up against the Timberwolves’ interior defense. Overall, it was a forgettable game for the Suns, especially for Devin Booker, who was expected to be a top contender for the MVP award this season. He only scored 18 points with a poor shooting rate of 5/16.

In the game, the Suns had a clear strategy of double-covering Anthony Edwards to prevent him from scoring. At first, this strategy paid off as Edwards was benched with 3 fouls and 10 points before halftime. However, apart from this, the Suns seemed lackluster in attack and defense. On the other hand, the Wolves were firm and had a lead in rebounds and second chances. Kevin Durant was the saving grace for the Suns in the first half with 18 points. Karl-Anthony Towns, who had just returned from injury, was the top scorer for the Wolves at halftime with 14 points, in addition to 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Booker was not the decisive player that was expected of him on the other team, and the Wolves could win even without Edwards. The score of 61-51 after 24 minutes did not reflect the Wolves’ dominance on the court.

Upon returning from the locker room, the Wolves experienced one of their infamous disconnections. However, Durant’s excellent performance, where he seemed to float every time he got up to shoot a basket, put the Suns within striking distance. Bradley Beal, who had finished the first quarter with 0 points, also stepped up his game. On the other side, KAT often seemed to be the only support for the Wolves until the disconnection ended. At that point, the reflection of each team’s season was evident. The Wolves played with intensity, order, and ambition, scoring a partial that left them up by 20 (92-72) with 12 minutes remaining against a team of erratic, soft, and idealess Suns. This is why some teams fought for the lead in the West until the last day, while others barely escaped play at the horn. Rudy Gobert, changing the rhetoric that often accompanies him in the playoffs, had an outstanding game (14+16). Edwards, who had already returned to the track, seemed unstoppable. He scored 18 points in those 12 minutes, 14 of the Wolves’ last 21 in the third quarter, and finished the game with 33 points, like a true force of nature.

The last quarter of the game confirmed Wolves’ superiority. Instead of slowing down, they continued to press until the end, possibly to prove to themselves and their opponent that they were the favorites to win the tie and that they didn’t want any room for debate. Although the Suns can win games against them and have already done so in the past, the Wolves have yet to settle the score. However, as long as Minnesota can maintain their level of play and intensity and reach the end of the game without hurrying, it will be nearly impossible for them to lose.