Timberwolves persevere against Suns, completing sweep as Coach Chris Finch exits due to knee injury.

 

BY DAVID BRANDT

Updated 1:21 PM GMT+6, April 29, 2024

Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves detected a defensive shift by the Phoenix Suns early in the third quarter, opting for one-on-one coverage instead of double teams. Seeing this as a challenge, the rising star embraced the opportunity. "It was like — you’ve got to beat us," Edwards remarked. "And I showed them."

He backed up his words with action, pouring in 31 of his 40 points in the second half. Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 28 points as well. Their efforts propelled the Timberwolves to a late surge, securing a 122-116 victory over the Suns on Sunday night and completing a sweep of the first-round playoff series.

The triumph marked the franchise’s first playoff series win in two decades. However, the celebration was tempered by the departure of coach Chris Finch, who exited the game in the fourth quarter due to a collision with Wolves guard Mike Conley. The team later confirmed Finch's injury as a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee.

Edwards showcased his scoring prowess, shooting 13 of 23 from the field, including 7 of 13 from beyond the arc. His emphatic one-handed dunk with 2:14 remaining epitomized Minnesota's dominance,

The Timberwolves secured a victory over the Suns despite Devin Booker's The Timberwolves sealed a win against the Suns, despite Devin Booker's staggering 49-point performance on 13-of-21 shooting, with an impressive 20-of-21 free throws made. Kevin Durant contributed 33 points, but the team struggled otherwise. Assistant coach Micah Nori stepped in for Finch for the final 1:41, as the Wolves closed out the game with relative ease. "Everyone knows their role and supports each other," Nori commented. "It might sound cliché, but it's truly about the next person stepping up, even among the coaching staff." Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels scored 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting, contributing to the Wolves' 44-33 rebounding advantage. In a tense fourth quarter, the Suns tied the game at 107 with 4:30 remaining on Royce O'Neale's 3-pointer. However, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels responded with consecutive corner 3s, giving the Wolves a 113-109 lead with 3:20 left. The Wolves now await their opponent in the second round, either the Denver Nuggets or the Los Angeles Lakers. "Their entire team presented challenges for us," commented Suns coach Frank Vogel. "Both role players and stars alike. Anthony Edwards is truly a remarkable talent. And their big men performed admirably."

Edwards ignited the Wolves early in the third quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers, followed by a powerful dunk from McDaniels, helping Minnesota turn a six-point deficit into a 68-66 lead. Edwards had a significant third quarter, scoring 15 points with four 3-pointers.

Booker responded with 18 points of his own during the quarter, allowing the Suns to take a 92-90 lead into the fourth. It was a challenging game for three-time All-Star Bradley Beal, who managed only nine points on 4-of-13 shooting before fouling out.

"We struggled with execution in the clutch moments," remarked Booker.

The Suns utilized various strategies in the first half, deploying five perimeter players at times to draw big men Gobert and Towns away from the basket.

Booker's buzzer-beating fallaway jumper gave the Suns a 61-56 halftime lead. Durant led Phoenix with 20 points before the break, while Booker had 17, and Towns contributed 15 for the Wolves.

Suns guard Grayson Allen missed his second consecutive game due to a sprained ankle sustained in Game 1, which he aggravated in Game 2. Allen, who averaged 13.5 points per game and led the NBA in 3-point percentage during the regular season, was sorely missed.