The Timberwolves struck first with a resounding 120-95 win over the Suns in Game 1. In this week’s survey, we’re asking fans what they need to see continue in order for the Wolves to win a series for the first time since 2004.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Minnesota Timberwolves fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The Minnesota Timberwolves took a 1-0 series lead with a resounding 120-95 win over the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals at Target Center on Saturday afternoon.
They did so by besting Phoenix in several key areas Minnesota needed to win:
Rebounding and Second Chance Scoring
- The Wolves collected 13 offensive rebounds to the Suns’ three, and out-scored Phoenix 20-6 on second chance possessions
- Minnesota rebounded 11 of their 24 2-point misses (45.8% offensive rebound rate, significantly above the league average of 31.3%), and seven of their 20 3-point misses (35.0% OREB rate, well north of the NBA average of 22.8%).
- More generally, Minnesota won the overall rebounding battle 52-28, flexing their size advantage over a Phoenix team that is thin in the front-court.
Anthony Edwards’ Scoring Efficiency
Entering the series, much was made of Anthony Edwards scoring just 43 points on 44 shots (14.3 PPG on 29.5/27.2/93.3 shooting splits) over the three regular season games agains the Suns. He also had just 12 assists and 10 turnovers, good for a 1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio that is well below his season mark of 1.68.
But the two-time All-Star exploded for 33 points on 58.3% shooting, including 10/16 (62.5%) from 2 and 4/8 (50%) from 3. 18 of his game-high 33 came in the third quarter, which he capped off by scoring or assisting on the team’s final 13 points of the frame. Edwards will certainly need to improve upon his six turnovers, but four of them came in the first quarter, when Ant was feeling out how the Suns were defending him; Edwards played his final 24:37 with just two turnovers — a mark the Wolves’ coaching staff has to feel solid about considering his sky high 37.8% usage rate. If that continues, along with solid scoring efficiency, you have to like the Wolves’ chances in this series.
Jaden McDaniels’ Defense on Devin Booker
McDaniels has been a phenomenal on-ball defender for pretty much his entire career — when he stays out of foul trouble. He did just that in Game 1, holding Booker to just three points on 1/6 shooting and one assist (zero turnovers) in the 34.8 possessions that McDaniels matched up with Booker, roughly 47% of the four-time All-Star’s time on the floor.
Perhaps more importantly, McDaniels did not commit a shooting foul on Booker, and committed just two fouls despite playing a team-high 38 minutes, in which he was a +18. It is especially worth nothing that Booker is shooting just 4/13 inside the arc (30.7%) against McDaniels this season, a far cry from his 55.2% mark on 2s throughout the campaign. Booker may get his at some point in this series, but McDaniels continuing to make the points Booker scores as difficult and as tiring as possible is going to be a big key.
Karl-Anthony Towns’ Composure
People do not talk enough about how hard Karl-Anthony Towns works to empower everyone around him knowing full well that it will likely come at the cost of his scoring opportunities or, more generally, him feeling comfortable in the half-court.
At times, Towns has forced the issue when the game script doesn’t feature him as much, resulting in taking the offense out of rhythm that causes downstream problematic turnovers and missed shots.
But in Game 1, KAT hit all the right notes.
Defensively, He was tasked with guarding one of the greatest scorers of all-time; and while Durant scored 10 of his team-high 31 points with KAT as the primary defender, Towns committed just one foul and did his best to contest Durant’s jumpers — results the Wolves will live with if it meant the ball was in Booker’s or Bradley Beal’s hands less often.
And then offensively, Towns did a great job of letting the game come to him. Before Edwards exploded for 18 in the third quarter, it was KAT that kept them afloat offensively while Ant struggled to find his footing in the first half. Towns scored 13 points on six shots, made all seven of his free throw attempts, and dished out four assists while turning it over just once in the first two quarters. The four-time All-Star played within himself, took smart shots, and dominated inside when Durant guarded him in single coverage on the block.
Most players who performed that well in the first half would probably want the ball as much as possible and try to force up shots in the third quarter to stay hot. But Towns took just three shots — a wide open drive for a score, a cash money pull up 3 to extend the lead to 11, and a missed floater over Beal — and made quick decisions to help keep everyone in rhythm.
He picked up a pair of ridiculous fouls that were questionable calls at best and “wrong place, wrong time” at worst, his third and fourth of the game, and exited with 3:33 left in the third. Towns played just 1:05 in the fourth quarter, as Head Coach Chris Finch pretty clearly wanted a defensive-minded lineup out there to help put the game away early. But Towns wasn’t upset by that; instead, he remained engaged on the bench and supported his teammates.
All in all, Towns’ Game 1 was an encouraging development. He fit in, did everything that was asked of him to the best of his ability, and played a crucial, albeit quiet, role in the Wolves’ opening game victory over the Suns. The nine-year veteran played a mature game that checked just about every box, and is the type of performance Minnesota will need for the entirety of their playoff run.
That brings us to this week’s survey questions, centered around this series. Please place your vote below!
What needs to continue most in order for the Wolves to beat the Suns and move onto Round 2?
- Dominate the offensive glass
- Anthony Edwards’ scoring efficiency
- Jaden McDaniels’ defense on Devin Booker
- Karl-Anthony Towns playing composed
Predict the result of the Wolves/Suns series:
- Wolves in 4/5
- Wolves in 6/7
- Suns in 5
- Suns in 6/7