The Timberwolves persevere against the Suns to complete a clean sweep, while Minnesota’s coach Chris Finch exits due to a knee injury.
Minnesota’s star, Anthony Edwards, noticed a shift in the beginning of the third quarter as the Phoenix Suns altered their defense, opting for more one-on-one matchups rather than using double teams, which they mostly relied on in the first half.
The emerging superstar saw it as a challenge Edwards expressed, “It seemed as though their aim was to outshine each of us individually.”. And I demonstrated to them.”
After Karl-Anthony Towns scored 28 points and Edwards scored 31 of his 40 points in the second half, the Timberwolves defeated the Suns 122-116 on Sunday night to win the first round of the playoffs.
After coach Chris Finch exited the game in the late fourth quarter due to an unintentional contact with Wolves guard Malik Beasley, who suffered a torn patellar tendon in his right knee, the team won its first playoff series in 20 years.
Edwards finished the game shooting 13 out of 23 from the field, including 7 out of 13 from the three-point range.With 2:14 left, the 22-year-old star clinched Minnesota’s 115-111 lead with a strong one-handed jam.
Wolves center Rudy Gobert commented, “We’ve seen him develop as a leader, a player, a man. It’s been fun.”
Phoenix never quite found their rhythm. Despite Devin Booker’s 49 points on 13-of-21 shooting, the Wolves managed to defeat the Suns.Furthermore, Booker made 20 out of 21 free throws. Kevin Durant scored 33 more points, but the squad as a whole was not very good.
Assistant coach Meika Nori took over for Finch in the final 1:41, and the Wolves comfortably closed out the game. Nori remarked, “Everyone has their role, everyone supports each other. I know it may seem sudden, but this is the next man up, even with the coaching staff.”
Jaden McDaniels scored 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting for Minnesota and helped the Wolves secure a 44-33 rebounding advantage.
It was a tense fourth quarter, and the Suns tied the game at 107 with 4:30 remaining on a three-pointer by Royce O’Neale. Edwards and Jaden McDaniels hit back-to-back corner threes to give the Wolves a 113-109 lead with 3:20 left.
Now, the Wolves await their next opponent in the second round, whether it will be the Denver Nuggets or the Los Angeles Lakers.
Phoenix coach Frank Vogel acknowledged, “Their entire team presented us with a lot of problems. Role players stepping up, stars shining. “Anthony Edwards’ extraordinary talents surpass any measure of conventional brilliance.” And their veterans really played well.”
Edwards hit back-to-back threes at the start of the third, and McDaniels made a powerful dunk to help Minnesota turn a six-point deficit into a 68-66 lead.
Edwards finished with 15 points and four three-pointers, so it was a significant part of his game.
In response, Booker scored 18 points in the quarter, giving the Suns a 92-90 advantage heading into the fourth.Bradley Beal, a three-time All-Star, had a difficult game; he only managed nine points on four of thirteen shots before fouling out.
Booker said, “They were making play late, and we weren’t.”ore fouling out.
In the first half, the Suns threw various defensive looks at the Wolves, utilizing different times to employ five perimeter players to try to keep Gobert and Towns away from the basket.
Booker’s buzzer-beating jumper gave the Suns a 61-56 halftime lead. Durant led Phoenix with 20 points at the break, while Booker had 17 points and Towns had 15 for the Wolves.
Due to a sprained ankle he sustained in Game 1 that got worse in Game 2, Suns guard Grayson Allen missed his second consecutive game.With an average of 13.5 points per game throughout the regular season, he topped the NBA in three-point percentage.
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