Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t have it on Tuesday.
It didn’t matter to the Timberwolves. Minnesota scored a 105-93 victory over the Phoenix Suns to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series. They did this despite a poor shooting night from both of their All-Stars.
Minnesota instead relied on a balanced effort led by Jaden McDaniels to secure the win. That came three days after Edwards dominated with 33 points and led Minnesota to a 120-95 Game 1 victory. The series now returns to Phoenix for Game 3 on Friday, with the Suns looking for an answer on how to compete with these upstart Timberwolves.
Timberwolves start hot, finish strong
Tuesday’s game started like Saturday’s ended. The Timberwolves jumped out to an 8-0 lead in front of a raucous crowd at the Target Center. The Suns struck back with a 17-7 run to start the second quarter and went into halftime with a 51-50 lead. The lead was just one point, despite Edwards (five) and Towns (two) totaling seven points on a combined 1-of-7 effort from the field. It was an ominous sign of the second half for Phoenix.
Both were better after the break and the tide turned emphatically in Minnesota’s favor. The Timberwolves took a 78-71 lead in the fourth quarter and then opened the floodgates with a 20-7 run to build a 102-83 lead with 4:41 left in the game.
Devin Booker made a foul after foul with 2:17 to go, dashing hopes of a late Suns rally. Phoenix coach Frank Vogel waved the white flag as Kevin Durant and the rest of his starters sat next to Booker on the bench.
When that was done, six Timberwolves players scored in double figures, including all five starters. McDaniels led the way with 25 points, eight rebounds and three assists on 10-for-17 shooting from the field. Mike Conley, a 17-season veteran, was a steady force all night, finishing with 18 points and four assists. Rudy Gobert recorded 18 points, nine rebounds and three steals.
As for Edwards and Towns? They contributed, but nothing like Minnesota is used to. Edwards scored 15 points while struggling from the field, shooting 3-for-12. He added eight assists, five rebounds, three steals and one isolation highlight against his basketball idol Durant.
Towns finished with 12 points while shooting 3-for-7 from the field, well below his season average of 21.8. He played just 24 minutes after picking up his third foul in the first quarter. He added eight rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Booker recorded 20 points, five assists and three rebounds for Phoenix. Durant scored 18 points, six rebounds and two assists. Eric Gordon added 15 off the bench while going 3-for-5 from 3-point range. The Suns turned the ball over 19 times. Making matters worse, they lost Grayson Allen when he rolled his right ankle early in the third quarter. He did not return and his future status is unclear.
It was another disappointing performance for a Suns team that has shown through two games that it has no answer no matter what Minnesota brings to the field. The Suns have to hope at this point that a change of venue can cure what ails them.
