Charles Barkley calls Phoenix Suns 'mediocre' after being swept by Minnesota Timberwolves
Charles Barkley is holding off giving the Minnesota Timberwolves their “flowers,” but congratulated them on a “great” Game 4 win, 122-116, at Footprint Center in sweeping the sixth-seeded Phoenix Suns.
“They beat a mediocre Suns team because you just said, the Suns are too little,” Barkley said to Kenny Smith on TNT’s Inside the NBA after Sunday’s game. “Now when they beat a team they don’t have a size advantage over going forward, then I’m going to give them their flowers. I was totally surprised they swept my Suns. Shocker, but what did we say going into the series? Suns got no bench, they got no size.”
The Suns were swept for the first time since 1999 and the Timberwolves, a third seed, won their first playoff series since 2004. Barkley stayed with the size narrative as Minnesota has two 7-footers in Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, who posted 28 points and 10 boards Sunday.
“Kevin Durant shouldn’t have to play the four, but the way this team is constructed, he has to play the four,” Barkley continued. “Great win against a mediocre Suns team. Hey, they surprised me sweeping the Suns. Great win, but an easy matchup for those guys. They were just way too big and too deep.”
Timberwolves 122 Suns 116 Final
Minnesota sweeps Phoenix. First time Suns have been swept in the playoffs since 1999.
PHX: Devin Booker 49 points, Kevin Durant 33.
MIN: Anthony Edwards 40 points, Karl-Anthony Towns 28. #NBAPlayoffs #Suns #Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/ygSPJc58qJ— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 29, 2024
The Timberwolves will play the winner of the Nuggets-Lakers series. Denver has a 3-1 lead going into Monday’s Game 5 at Ball Arena. The defending NBA champion Nuggets are a two seed.
“The Joker is the best basketball player in the whole world,” said Barkley about Nuggets big Nikola Jokic. “Yugoslavia, Germany, United States, Canada, he’s the best basketball player in the world. I’m really looking forward to that matchup from the size standpoint. (The Timberwolves) won’t have that size matchup. They won’t be getting 15 offensive rebound a game like they did against the Nuggets.”
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Barkley calls Suns 'mediocre' after being swept by T-Wolves
