At 7:30 a.m. Beijing time on April 24, in the second leg of the first round of the NBA Western Conference playoffs in the 23-24 season, the Timberwolves played the Suns again at home.
First Half Match Report
Downs was fouled three times in the first quarter after playing eight minutes, and Downs did not play in the second quarter because of fouls. However, even when Towns was not on the court, the Timberwolves kept the score tight, and the Timberwolves trailed by one point at 50-51 at the end of the first half.
In the first half, the Suns scored the most points with Booker with 13 points on 3-of-8 shooting, while Conley scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting with the Timberwolves.
Second Half Match Report
The Suns still adopted the tactics of wrapping and guarding against Edwards, and it was too difficult for Huazi to score in this game, 1 of 7 in the middle of the third quarter, but Edwards began to break through the defense, scoring 6 points in a row, and the Timberwolves led by 7 points, and the Timberwolves led the Suns by 7 points at 78:71 at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Suns made consecutive low-level mistakes, and the Timberwolves led the Suns by 17 points in less than four minutes.
The Suns didn't even have a timeout for the last seven minutes! But the team trailed by 15 points. In the end, the Suns lost to the Timberwolves again without shock, and the disorganized Suns could only do this.
In the last three minutes, the Suns learned the tactics for Durant, and they didn't understand what Vogel was thinking, and in the end, they didn't work anymore, so they remembered Durant. Durant played 40 minutes and couldn't get the ball for most of the time.
Key player stats for both sides
Suns
Durant: 6-of-13 from two-point range, 0-of-2 from three-point range, 6-of-7 from the free-throw line, 18 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists
Booker: 5-of-7 from two-point range, 1-of-6 from three-point range, 7-of-8 from the free-throw line, 20 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists
Beal: 4-of-13 from two-point range and 2-of-4 from three-point range, finishing with 14 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists
Timberwolves
Towns: 2-of-3 on two-pointers, 1-of-4 on three-pointers, 5-of-5 from the free-throw line, 12 points, 8 rebounds and 1 assist
Edwards: 1-of-6 on two-pointers, 2-of-6 on three-pointers, 7-of-8 on free throws, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals
Gobert: 6-of-8 from two-point range and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line, finishing with 18 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals
Conley: 4-of-7 on two-pointers, 3-of-6 on three-pointers and 1-of-1 on free throws, finishing with 18 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists
McDaniels: 8-of-13 from two-point range, 2-of-4 from three-point range and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line for 25 points, eight rebounds and three assists
summary
The Timberwolves held two home courts, leading the Suns 2-0, and the Suns' Big Three were not so strong in the playoff intensity of the defense, but the Timberwolves' twin towers came to the real one, and the Timberwolves' Naz Reid was also a strong presence.
Edwards has been treated as a superstar level defender, and it has to be said that the young people have propped up a new pattern in the league this season!