On April 24, Beijing time, the first round of the NBA playoffs was in full swing, and the Suns and Timberwolves ushered in a key G2 matchup. In the first meeting between the two sides, the Suns were defeated by the Timberwolves with a score of 95-120, and the Suns were weak on the offensive end and were firmly suppressed by the opponent on the defensive end. Although Durant was solid, scoring 31 points and discharging seven rebounds on 11-of-17 shooting, Beal reduced his role on the offensive end, scoring just 15 points and six assists, but he was active on the defensive end, contributing three steals. As a core player for the Suns, Booker's state is worrying. In his last game, he hit just five of his 16 shots, and his performance fell far short of playoff expectations. In addition, the Suns' other role players also failed to perform as well as they should, with Allen and Gordon both failing to hit from beyond the three-point line, which undoubtedly put more pressure on the Suns' offensive end.
In contrast, the Timberwolves have shown great quality on both offensive and defensive ends. They topped the league in defensive efficiency at 109 during the regular season, and also ranked among the best in the league in blocks and steals per game. Outside the three-point line, the Timberwolves shot a whopping 38.7 percent from the field and 48.5 percent overall. In the G1 match, key players such as Edwards, Gobert and Downs all played well and led the team to victory. Bench player Walker also made a standout performance, contributing to his points, rebounds and steals. In the G2 game against the Suns, Booker must find his form as soon as possible and lead the team to play more efficiently on the offensive end. At the same time, perimeter shooters Allen and Gordon also need to regain their touch and increase their threat from beyond the three-point line. The Timberwolves, on the other hand, need to continue to maintain defensive intensity while stabilizing the offensive rhythm to cope with the Suns' counterattack.
In the first quarter of the G2 game, Conley scored for the Timberwolves first, and Edwards also hit a three-pointer. The Suns started the game with a cold hand and fell behind at one point. After a timeout, Allen's three-pointer broke the scoring drought for the Suns, but the Big Three still didn't feel good in the first quarter, with Durant, Beal and Booker all shooting low. Despite this, the Suns gradually narrowed the gap by scoring fouls. After an 8-0 start, the Timberwolves were slightly sluggish on offense and less efficient. At the end of the first quarter, the Suns trailed the Timberwolves by three points, 21-24.
In the second quarter of the game, Gordon hit a three-point shot to equalize the score for the Suns, and then he passed Nurkic, who scored easily, and the Suns led by 2 points. On the Timberwolves' side, Conley stepped up and used a breakaway layup to break the scoring drought of the ball. Not to be outdone, Beal scored consecutive points to stabilize his position for the Suns. McDaniels showed his toughness by shooting and stealing on the inside. Beal was on fire and hit another three-pointer, and Conley responded with a throw.
Durant faced McDaniels' defense and played a heads-up 2+1, Booker made a foul and scored a free throw in the counterattack, but Conley then responded with a three-pointer, and the two sides went back and forth, and the score was tight. Durant came out of his power again, flipping over and hitting a shot, while Eubanks sprinted and dunked to ignite the game. McDaniels hit a three-pointer to close the gap. The Suns' Big Three are gradually picking up, while the Timberwolves are relying more on outside 3-pointers.
In the middle of the second quarter, Booker and McDaniels also had some skirmishes, adding some gunpowder to the game. In the second half, the two teams were entangled, and the Suns maintained a seven-point lead. However, in the final minute, the Timberwolves launched a fierce counterattack under Conley's leadership, and they scored six points in a row. By half-time, they had narrowed the deficit to just one point. At the end of the two quarters, the Suns led the Timberwolves by one point, 51-50.
At the beginning of the second half, both teams started the game with a mediocre start and a sluggish offensive efficiency. Nurkic tried to force Gobert but missed, and then grabbed a rebound to score. After that, the two sides fell into a scuffle, and after McDaniels scored points, the two teams fell into a stalemate, and in the middle of the game, Downs suddenly broke out and scored five points alone. However, after Booker hit a three-pointer, the Suns' offense suddenly stalled, and Edwards singled out Durant and Beal on the offensive end, scoring consecutive points, and instantly expanded the difference to 7 points. Seeing that the situation was not good, the Suns immediately called a timeout.
After the timeout, Booker made a turnover, and McDaniels turned around and shot inside and hit a solid two-pointer. Durant then pushed to the free throw line and made a jumper to stop the bleeding for the Suns. Reid then drew a foul on Booker and made both free throws. Walker hit another three-pointer from the bottom corner to extend the Timberwolves' lead to 10 points. The Suns players were impatient, Vogel was rushing on the sidelines, and in the final minute, both teams scored from free throws. At the end of the third quarter, the Timberwolves led the Suns by seven points, 78-71.
In the final quarter of the game, in the final quarter of the game, Gobert challenged Durant hard under the basket, successfully made a foul and scored on free throws. He then got another chance to dunk on the inside and took it to add two more points to the team. Then, he assisted Towns to score on an easy layup inside. Walker and Conley also combined for five points. In contrast, the Suns' offense was severely hampered and turnovers were frequent, with only Gordon and Beal combining for five points. In the first four minutes of the final quarter, the Timberwolves unleashed a strong 15-5 attack wave to extend the lead to 17 points!
Although after a timeout, Eubanks completed a dunk, Gordon also hit a three-pointer, Booker scored with a layup, and the Suns tried their best to catch up with the score. However, Conley drew a foul and scored on a free throw, and McDaniels hit another three-pointer from the bottom corner, which widened the gap again. In the end, Vogel had to accept the loss, pulling the main team, and the Suns lost to the Timberwolves again 93-105!
Intriguingly, in the regular season, the Suns faced the Timberwolves with a 3-0 sweep, but why didn't the Suns in the playoffs? The problems faced by the Suns have long been a cliché, and they have been plagued by a lack of organizational and defensive strength throughout the season. Whether it was Booker or Beal to take on the organizational task, it seemed out of desperation, and the team's offense seemed unusually stiff and fluid. They rely too heavily on shooting, but their weakness on the defensive end makes it easy to fall on the verge of collapse if they don't shoot well.
In the first game, Durant was efficient, but Booker, Beal, including Allen and Gordon, did not play! In this game, Durant had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists, Nurkic had 10 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists, Beal had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists, Allen 3 points and retired from injury, Booker had 20 points, 3 boards, 5 assists and 2 steals. Gordon had 15 points and 3 boards, but the efficiency of the Big Three was very average, handing over 45 shots and 18 shots, on the other hand, the Timberwolves played more methodically, and the team scored 6 double-doubles, although Edwards scored 15 points, but 10 of them were scored when leading the team to turn the tables in the third quarter, and the knife was killed! After losing to the Timberwolves, Durant's championship dream this season was basically shattered!
In fact, back last offseason, the Suns' team reporter suggested that the team go after Harden. However, Durant is rumored to be suspicious of Harden's departure from the Nets, and there is a negative attitude towards Harden's joining internally. Eventually, they got Bill in a complicated three-way deal. But Beal, as an offensive guard, lacks neither defensive ability nor top-level organizational talent, coupled with his high-salary contract, makes the Suns' salary space stretched, and they completely lose the opportunity to strengthen the defensive players. To make matters worse, Allen, the Suns' most accurate scoring point on the outside and also has some defensive ability, unfortunately sprained his ankle and is likely to face reimbursement for the entire season. For the Suns, stopping early in the first round of the playoffs has become a high probability event.