X-factors: Here are role players to watch as Suns vs. Timberwolves meet in playoffs

The playoffs for the Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves will begin just like their regular season closed, facing each other.

Their upcoming Western Conference best-of-seven first-round series opening in Minneapolis on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., might not equal their three regular season games, in which the Suns dominated and swept the season series, 3-0.

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Each team has players that can take over games. Phoenix's Big 3 of Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant against Minnesota's top trio of Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Rudy Gobert will grace the marquee. But there are role players on each team who could be solid to game-changing contributors.

Here are two players each from the Suns and Timberwolves who could make a difference for their teams:

Suns GM Jones: Nurkic brings 'physicality we haven't had in years'

Jusuf Nurkic: Averages vs. Timberwolves this season include 6.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.6 steals, plus-16 when on the court.

Nurkic has been the most consistent starter in 76 appearances. That edges their top shooter Grayson Allen's starts and appearances by one and two games, respectively.

At 7-feet and 290 pounds, Nurkic averages a double-double at 10.9 points, and his team-high 11 rebounds per game. He averaged 4.0 assists as the Suns' fourth-highest behind their Big 3 and 1.1 blocks behind Durant's 1.2. In addition, Nurkic's 27 "and-ones" this season rank third on the team behind Booker's 39 and Durant's 46.

"He’s an unsung hero for us," Suns general manager James Jones said at practice Tuesday. "We all know that being a big guy on a team that’s guard-heavy or perimeter heavy, a lot of the times you just find yourself out there just doing the things that no one notices, but we notice.

"He gives us the physicality we haven’t had in years, and it’s gonna serve us well in the playoffs because if you just look at the conference standings, there aren’t any easy days in the Western Conference."

Royce O'Neale's versatility

O'Neale's key stats vs. Timberwolves (two games with Suns): 3.5 points, 2.5 points, 1.5 assists, 21.5 minutes per game, plus-15.

O'Neale has been the perfect fit as one of the Suns' top reserves as expected since he was acquired from Brooklyn at February's trade deadline.

He's posted his career's second-best 8.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.9 steals, and is shooting 37.6% from the 3 during his 30 games with Phoenix. His numbers against the Timberwolves with the Suns aren't gaudy, but he helps get stops (most of his rebounding averages are on the defensive end), and ability to shoot from deep helps stretch defenses and spacing on offense.

“He’s great defensively. He can guard multiple positions. He does a lot for us," Allen said about O'Neale. "Offensively, he’s a great ball mover, good shooter. When he’s got the five guarding him, he can take advantage of it at the 3-point line, driving, or rolling, whatever it is.”

T-wolves' Reid, Alexander-Walker 'tenacious' defenders

Naz Reid's key stats vs Suns this season: Averages of 10.3 points, 33.3% from deep, 6.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 23.6 minutes

Alexander-Walker's key stats vs. Suns this season: 8 points, 46.2% on 3s, 21 minutes

The 6-foot-9 Reid is a Sixth Man of the Year candidate who's one of the league's best agile bigs and plays well at every angle and area of the floor. He's third among the Timberwolves' twin towers with Gobert and Towns who plays bigger than he is as a rim protector (0.9 blocks per game this season), but can also take anyone off the dribble in half-court sets.

Alexander-Walker is a guard and capable of being a streaky shooter from the perimeter, and Suns coach Frank Vogel respects his defensive prowess as well.

“I don’t think people are talking enough about their supporting players that they have. Their role players are elite," Vogel said. "That’s something we take pride in about our guys, too, but (Jaden) McDaniels, Walker-Alexander, and Naz Reid, all of those guys are tenacious defensively, they shoot the 3 when double teams come, and they’re a big part of that team’s success as their star players are.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: X-factor players in Suns-Timberwolves Game 1, West playoffs 1st round