Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves will take their home floor in Game 2 looking to seize commanding 2-0 series lead with a win over Kevin Durant and the Suns.
Timberwolves nation let me hear you howl!
Your Minnesota Timberwolves head into Game 2 with a 1-0 series lead over the three-headed Phoenix Suns. After a thorough thrashing at the hands of the Suns last Sunday in the regular season finale, a somber feeling permeated throughout the land of 10,000 lakes as Timberwolves faithful contemplated how the hometown team could flip the script in Game 1 against an opponent in the Suns they had few answers for, as reflected by an 0-3 record during the regular season. Boy did they ever flip the script.
After a tightly contested first half, Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves came alive in the 3rd quarter. The Timberwolves were thoroughly dominant on the glass, disintegrating their opponent with a 52-28 rebounding advantage. Anthony Edwards was flat-out special, going toe to toe with his childhood idol Kevin Durant. This 22-year-old budding superstar is embracing the moment, and there is no opponent he will back down from.
ANT & KD pic.twitter.com/q5nYFrAjZI
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) April 20, 2024
These are the moments that we need to appreciate in the moment. Too often, it is far too easy to get swept away in what is next or fixated on stats, complexities, and anxiety about what happens if we fail. At its core, what makes sports so captivating is the ability to cultivate the feeling of belief and community. For two-and-a-half hours, 20,000 people from various backgrounds, experiences, and cultures come together to share their collective passion for their local basketball team. The flame that burns within every fan fuels that heightened sense of community, and every flame begins with a spark.
The thing about Ant? He’s not just a spark that inspired basketball fans across Minnesota, he’s a flamethrower intent on burning down 20 years of hopelessness to create a new wave of basketball fever to sweep the Twin Cities.
Minnesota won Game 1; it’s something to be enjoyed, but anyone can win one game. Now the Timberwolves will need to re-establish their physicality, defensive effort, and overall energy night-in-night-out. So without further ado, lets jump into the Game 2 preview!
Game Info
- Who: #3 Minnesota Timberwolves (1-0) vs #6 Phoenix Suns (0-1)
- When: Tuesday, April 23 at 6:30 PM CT
- Where: Target Center (Minneapolis, MN)
- Local TV: Bally Sports North (Michael Grady, Jim Petersen and Lea B. Olsen)
- National TV: TNT / TruTV
- Radio: KFAN FM 100.3, Wolves App
- Line: Wolves -3 | Total: 213 (courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Injury Reports
Updated as of Monday, April 22 at 8:30 PM CT
Minnesota
QUESTIONABLE:
- Kyle Anderson (right hip pointer)
Phoenix
QUESTIONABLE:
Grayson Allen (right ankle sprain)
OUT:
- Damion Lee (right knee torn meniscus surgery)
What To Watch For
As we turn the page on an impressive Game 1 victory for the Timberwolves, the prevailing thought that came to mind is that how the Wolves won is very replicable. There are four key factors, where if Minnesota does their part the pathway for a Phoenix victory quickly devolves into a tightrope.
- Dominate the rebounding battle
- Elite point-of-attack defense on Bradley Beal and Devin Booker
- Take care of the basketball
- Quick, confident decision-making on offense.
Given the Suns employ Durant, Booker and Beal it should come as no surprise that they are an elite mid-range shooting team. From 10-19 feet, the Suns led the NBA in shot attempts at 17.5 per game and made 49.1% of their attempts. The Phoenix Suns have shot makers and they’re simply going to make tough shots. That said, a 49.1% midrange shot, even from the Suns three-headed monster checks in at a measly .982 points per possession.
While this is elite shotmaking from the midrange, the Timberwolves can use this strength to their advantage. Let them take midrange shots, they’re going to miss half the shots they take and Rudy Gobert’s towering presence will be put to work to end possessions. The Wolves did an outstanding job securing defensive rebounds in Game 1, and it’s a trend that will need to continue.
Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker were flat out special defensively in Game 1. The intensity and physicality of the Wolves’ defensive duo flustered Booker early and often. He never had an inch of space, and was never allowed to settle into the game while going 31.3% from the floor. In the play below, Jaden McDaniels uses his length to clamp down on Booker, resulting in a blocked shot.
Outstanding work.
The Timberwolves need to ensure they have more bites at the apple each game. By ending possessions with rebounding, driving down shooting percentages through the defense, and limiting turnovers the Wolves will consistently find themselves in a position to beat the Suns.
Can the Suns’ Big Three Bounce Back?
We can dive all day into averages and defenses, but at the end of the day the Suns have three elite basketball players. Trying to shut down all three at once is an impossible task, and in Game 1 it was evident that the Timberwolves’ strategy is to allow Durant to get his while placing a concerted effort on limiting the impact of Booker and Beal impact. By initially deploying KAT on Durant, the team looked to throw length at the slim reaper, while moving Mike Conley to his more standard chaser role checking Grayson Allen.
While the strategy yielded excellent results in Game 1, it’s important to remember there is plenty of basketball to play yet. It is not plausible to expect Booker to go for 18 points and hit 31% of his shots the rest of the series. The four-time All-Star has been the premier shotmaker from the two-guard position for the last few years. His ability to dissect defenses and consistently get to his spots has buoyed the Suns’ offense as the franchise vaulted into the upper echelon of the NBA.
Now joining forces with Durant’s mythical jump shot, along with a shifty guard in Beal, the Suns possess a three-pronged attack capable of bulldozing through their opponent.
Can the Wolves Bench Remain This Effective?
The Timberwolves depth has been apparent all season long. With 10 players deserving of minutes, the depth has allowed the team to thrive even through injuries. In Game 1, the Timberwolves’ bench outscored Phoenix 34-14, factoring out garbage time. Royce O’Neale was the only Sun reserve to score in that time frame. I don’t expect a 20-gap all series long, but the luxury of having quality players such as Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid combined with Phoenix scoring the fewest bench points in the NBA makes it possible.
By winning the bench minutes, the Timberwolves set themselves up for success. With the intensity the playoffs, and the required defensive effort the ability to rotate fresh legs without sacrificing a lead is a critical advantage. Alexander-Walker has developed into a premier 3-and-D role player. Shooting 39.1% off four attempts a game while playing elite-level point-of-attack defense off the bench gives the Wolves options to keep throwing new looks and bodies at opposing scorers. He was incredible in Game 1, and his ability to shadow Booker is crucial to the defensive plan. Most impressive is Nickeil’s improvement as a ball-handler and decision-maker, which gives the Wolves yet another guard to keep the basketball moving.
The best for last huh? What more can I say about Reid that hasn’t already been said. Naz’s ability to seamlessly integrate himself into multiple lineup combinations while being a consistent offensive threat has taken the bench to new heights. Capable as both a shooter and interior threat, Naz can punish bench units with his versatile skillset. Both NAW and Naz stretch the Timberwolves offense to the corner. Given the Suns will sell out on throwing bodies at Edwards, and playing in the gaps, looks from the corner will be open. Minnesota took 11 corner 3-pointers in Game 1, an improvement from the 9.6 they averaged in the regular season. The Wolves’ ability to hit open outside shots and keep the offense humming takes the pressure off the starting unit.
Above anything else, what the Timberwolves need to do is bottle the energy levels from Game 1 up. Consistency is paramount in the playoffs, and the Wolves have shown what they’re capable of. If Minnesota can replicate their defensive intensity, dominate the glass, and move the ball offensively they are going to be tough to beat in Game 2. So buckle up, and if you’re going to the game, get loud.
The Timberwolves have a chance to take a 2-0 lead back to Arizona.
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