The Minnesota Timberwolves are two wins away from reaching the second round for the first time in 20 years.
Minnesota defeated the Phoenix Suns 105-93 in Tuesday's Game 2 of their first-round playoff series at Target Center. It defended home-court advantage for the second time in a row and seized a 2-0 lead in the series.
All five Timberwolves starters scored in double figures, but it was Jaden McDaniels instead of Anthony Edwards or Karl-Anthony Towns who spearheaded the effort. He finished with 25 points and eight rebounds, while Mike Conley (18 points, four assists, four rebounds and two steals) and Rudy Gobert (18 points, nine rebounds and three steals) also played well.
Phoenix got 20 points from Devin Booker before he fouled out and 18 from Kevin Durant but still couldn't win even as Edwards went 3-of-11 from the field.
Social media reacted to the Suns' plight:
Robby Kalland @RKallandGet the Suns outta here <a href="">
Zack Pearson @Zack_PearsonSuns blew up a team to lose to Jaden McDaniels. Ooooof.
Shea Serrano @SheaSerranodo the suns know that kevin durant is on the suns?????<br><br>does kevin durant know that kevin durant is on the suns?????
Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 @JoshEberleyI feel like on paper the Suns really do got a skill surplus relative to Minnesota but the Wolves just play so much hungrier.
Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwillSuns unraveling. Where's your ball control point guard? Your rim protecting big? Roster construction flaws
Mark Jackson's Burner @casualtakekingThe Phoenix Suns tonight: <a href="">
JokicJoestar @JoestarJokicIf the Suns can't win a 2/10 Anthony Edwards game this series is wraps man
Kellan Olson @KellanOlsonIf you had never held a basketball before and watched the Suns this year, you would just assume it was coated in some slippery/wet substance.
Jacob Padilla @JacobPadilla_I miss when Devin Booker and Kevin Durant were good at basketball. Those were better times.
oliver @oliverrr33Suns offensive scheme is just dribbling the ball aimlessly for 20 seconds then chucking up some bs at the end of the shot clock and hoping for the best
RingerNBA @ringernbaAnthony Edwards to Kevin Durant all series <a href="">
Jon Krawczynski @JonKrawczynskiEubanks had Kevin Durant right there wide open and said, "nah, I got this." He didn't have it.
Chris Walder @WalderSportsKevin Durant and "Big 3's" aren't working out so great.
The biggest storyline in Game 1 was Edwards further announcing himself as one of the league's top players. He fed off the energy of the crowd, carried his team for extended stretches and even talked trash to Durant as Minnesota pulled away in a blowout.
Phoenix seemed determined to prevent that from happening again, though, and held Edwards to just five points in the first half. Yet the visitors led by just a single point because Conley, Gobert and McDaniels all exerted themselves as scorers to make up for a quiet start from Minnesota's No. 1 option.
The supporting cast keeping it close was all the more important because Towns also spent most of the first half on the bench because of foul trouble.
It proved costly from the Suns' perspective that they didn't take more advantage of the slow starts from Edwards and Towns. Minnesota took the lead in the third quarter with Edwards getting to the free-throw line and Towns scoring eight straight points for his side in a mini spurt.
Phoenix also lost Grayson Allen to an ankle injury, further limiting its depth against a Timberwolves team that got important contributions from all five starters.
Minnesota proved it doesn't need Edwards to go off to notch an impressive victory in the fourth quarter with Conley hitting from the outside, McDaniels putting on a show and Gobert continuing to play well down low. Edwards still couldn't find his shot, but it didn't matter as the home team opened up a commanding double-digit lead and left no doubt.
The Suns will have to be much better at home in Friday's Game 3 if they are going to make this a series.
