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Timberwolves flip script, blow out Suns in Game 1 of opening-round series

Jace Frederick, Pioneer Press
·4 min read

After being thoroughly dismantled in three regular-season games by Phoenix, the Timberwolves returned the favor when it mattered most. Minnesota sent a major message to open the first-round NBA playoff series en route to a 120-95 Game 1 victory Saturday at Target Center.

Suddenly, the series looks a lot more like advantage Wolves than the tossup it was originally viewed to be. Game 2 of the series is Tuesday in Minneapolis.

What a shift in feelings from a week prior, when the Suns nuked Minnesota on the same floor in the regular-season finale, forcing the Wolves into a first-round date with one of the hotter teams in the NBA — no pun intended.

A week ago, the Timberwolves didn’t seem to have an answer for the Suns’ plethora of perimeter scorers. Conversations centered on ways in which Minnesota could go smaller to better match up with Phoenix.

But that was far from the case Saturday. Size was very much the Timberwolves’ ally. Center Rudy Gobert grabbed 16 rebounds on a day where the Wolves outrebounded Phoenix 52-28 and scored 52 points in the paint to the Suns’ 34.

The real solution to Minnesota’s issues was simple — play harder.

More specifically, play like itself.

“Certainly what happened with things last week and previous matchups, we needed to take our game to another level,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “We hadn’t been doing that. We’ve been playing some good basketball, at times great basketball — connected, we played hard, played for each other — but we haven’t been playing desperate basketball with a chip on our shoulder, which is what we did early in the season when we tried to establish ourself. We did a good job of coming out here hungry with something to prove.”

They were a pack of desperate Wolves. And the Suns were their prey.

Kevin Durant got his — scoring 31 points on 11 for 17 shooting on a night where he was guarded by Karl-Anthony Towns. But every other Phoenix player struggled to even generate looks at the rim.

Devin Booker was 5 for 16. Brad Beal attempted just 10 shots. Grayson Allen was 0 for 3 from the field. Because Minnesota defended every inch of the floor for all 48 minutes. The No. 1 defense in the NBA all season came out and put on a show on national television.

According to Anthony Edwards, Beal commented to Finch after last Sunday’s game that the Wolves didn’t play hard enough.

“And he was totally right. Like we was out just running around, letting them do what they wanted to do, man,” Edwards said. “That’s a great team, man. All three of those guys, they’re great players, man. It’s going to be hard to beat these guys. We’ve got to bring it every night.”

That’s what Minnesota can truly hang its hat on. And, when the Wolves play like that — as they showed again Saturday — they’re very, very difficult to beat, particularly in a best-of-seven series. Between Gobert, Edwards, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jaden McDaniels, there’s too much defensive talent on the floor to not get stops when the motors are revving on high.

“Our focus and our urgency were obviously at an all-time high. I love how we respected the game plan for 48 minutes, from the first to the last,” Gobert said. “That’s who we are. We’ve got to find that desperation every night now. Whether we’re up in the series, down in the series. Whatever happens, every minute, no matter who’s on the floor, we’ve got to play with that urgency. When we do, it’s fun, and we’ve got no regrets at the end.

That alone helped power Minnesota to 10-point halftime lead. And then the Anthony Edwards show came to life.

The 22-year-old all-star guard has always been a primetime performer who has shined in the playoffs. Saturday was no different. Phoenix had trimmed Minnesota’s advantage to four midway through the third quarter when Edwards delivered one of his patented third-quarter explosions.

This time, he scored 18 in the quarter with a number of big-time hits. After one of the biggest ones at the end of the third, Edwards started talking all kinds of smack to Durant, who he has noted on numerous occasions has always been his favorite NBA player.

Edwards finished with 33 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

All Durant could do was smile and laugh.

When Minnesota plays like this, there aren’t many other answers to be found.

“It’s been who we are all year,” Mike Conley said. “For us, it’s not having to work to recreate it and think we’re a team that is built off of guys who are blue collar, work hard, have a chip on their shoulder. We understand that’s who we are, and we have to go do that in Game 2.”

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