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The Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns shift their front to the Footprint Center for Game 3 of their first-round series, best of seven. With a commanding 105-93 victory on Tuesday night, the Timberwolves asserted dominance as three-point favorites, propelling them to a formidable 2-0 series advantage.
Phoenix now seeks to evade the perilous predicament of falling into a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 deficit. Minnesota finds itself in possession of a 2-0 series lead for only the second time in franchise history, the previous instance occurring against Denver in the first round of the 2004 playoffs, culminating in a decisive 4-1 series triumph.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Phoenix Suns prediction, preview, starting lineups and betting tips
The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Phoenix Suns Game 3 will tipoff at 10:30 p.m. ET at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. It will be aired nationally on ESPN, including local streaming services on Arizona's Family 3TV / Arizona's Family Sports and Bally Sports North Extra for home coverage.
Spread: Wolves +4.5 vs Suns -4
Moneyline: Wolves +162 vs Suns -180
Total over and under: Wolves O 206.5 vs Suns U 207
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Phoenix Suns preview
In a gritty, low-scoring contest reminiscent of old-school basketball, the youthful Minnesota Timberwolves emerged victorious with a 105-93 triumph, seizing control in the second half against the Suns.
Jaden McDaniels showcased his prowess with a playoff career-best 25-point performance. Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards, who was remarkable in Game 1 with 33 points, encountered a tougher challenge in Game 2 as Phoenix deployed multiple defenders to contain him. Edwards struggled, managing 15 points on 3 of 12 shooting from the field.
At halftime, Phoenix held a narrow one-point lead, 51-50, in Game 2. However, the momentum swiftly shifted as the third quarter commenced, sparked by Jaden McDaniels' impactful contributions on both ends of the court. Despite shooting 9 for 32 from beyond the arc, Minnesota missed several open opportunities that could have widened the score gap even further. Impressively, the league's top-rated defense team managed to restrict the Suns to under 100 points in both of their home games.
Devin Booker led the Suns' scoring effort with 20 points, while Kevin Durant contributed 18 points to the tally. Despite effectively limiting Anthony Edwards' shooting opportunities, Jaden McDaniels stepped up admirably for the Timberwolves, assuming a larger role as the Suns focused their defensive attention on Edwards.
Furthermore, Phoenix suffered a setback in the third quarter when guard Grayson Allen aggravated an ankle sprain, sidelining him for the remainder of the game. The Phoenix bench struggled to pick up the slack, resulting in their domination by the Timberwolves in the final two quarters.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Phoenix Suns starting lineups
The Minnesota Timberwolves will start Mike Conley at PG, Anthony Edwards at SG, Jaden McDaniels at SF, Karl-Anthony Towns at PF and Rudy Gobert at center.
The Phoenix Suns will start Devin Booker at PG, Bradley Beal at SG, Grayson Allen at SF, Kevin Durant at PF and Jusuf Nurkic at center.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Phoenix Suns betting tips
Karl-Anthony Towns has averaged 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists. His rebound prop is set at over/under 7.5 and is favored to go over at +110.
Anthony Edwards has averaged 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists. His assist prop is set at over/under 5.5 and is favored to go under at -105.
Kevin Durant has averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists with 2.2 3-pointers. His 3-pointers made prop is set at over/under 2.5 and is favored to go over at +145.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Phoenix Suns predictions
Game 2 witnessed another lackluster performance from the Phoenix Suns' guards. Despite leading the Suns in scoring, Devin Booker's effectiveness was notably hampered by Jaden McDaniels' defensive pressure, resulting in six turnovers, a more troubling statistic than his field-goal percentage, especially considering the Suns' team total of 19 turnovers.
Bradley Beal similarly struggled, contributing four turnovers alongside 14 points while enduring an 11-shot field goal miss. However, with the series reaching a critical juncture, anticipate a resurgence from the Suns' superstar backcourt in what is arguably the most pivotal game of the season. The prospect of a 3-0 deficit looms large, as history has shown that overcoming such a margin in the NBA playoffs is exceedingly rare. In the modern era, only four teams have managed to rally from a 3-0 deficit to force a series tie, let alone secure a victory.
