To understand Game 3, we must look at what the Phoenix Suns said after their Game 2 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.
“We didn’t keep our composure,” said Phoenix head coach Frank Vogel.
When a reporter asked what caused the lack of composure, he responded, “All of the above. We have to be better.”
Game 2 was a disheartening defeat for the Suns. Minnesota held them under 100 points for the second consecutive game, Phoenix committed 19 turnovers, which the Wolves capitalized on with 31 points, and the Suns were affected by the Minnesota crowd’s energy and the inconsistent officiating.
The math isn’t in Phoenix’s favor as they packed up and headed back to the desert for Games 3 and 4. In NBA history, higher-seeded teams that go up 2-0 have won that series 93% of the time. Devin Booker and the rest of his teammates knew they didn’t have much room for error. Even though they weren’t facing elimination in Game 3, the Suns needed to fight for their lives.
“We just have to regroup,” said Booker when asked about the turnovers and lack of composure. “We have two days to think about it, two days to sit with it. We’ve shown that in spots this season. It’s something we need to correct and correct urgently.”
Expectedly, the energy at the Footprint Center was palpable from the jump in Game 3. The first few minutes felt like a hockey game; Phoenix and Minnesota skated back and forth with minimal productive offense. However, Karl-Anthony Towns – who logged only 8:07 minutes in the first half of Game 3 due to foul trouble – put a calming stamp on the game early with 8 points on 2 of 2 from beyond the arc.
While the home crowd brought energy, the Suns failed on both ends. They quickly found themselves in a 15-8 hole, shooting 25% from the floor and committing two turnovers. Vogel called a timeout with 7:50 left in the opening frame, hoping to calm his team.
Again, composure was an early issue.
After that timeout, Phoenix went on a 15-10 run over the next five minutes. Eric Gordon rattled off 10 points on 2 of 2 from the floor through his first three minutes. And Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert, and Towns all picked up two fouls, which equated to 10 free throw attempts for the Suns, who made nine of them.
In the regular season, Phoenix ranked first in free-throw rate. Twenty-two of their points per 100 possessions came at the line. Therefore, the Wolves had to limit fouls to win, as they had through the first two games.
Although the Wolves committed ten personal fouls, they led 34-32 after a scrappy, energetic, and back-and-forth first quarter. Anthony Edwards put together a superstar frame, recording 12 points on 4 of 8 from the floor and 3 of 3 from deep. Beal defended well, but Edwards hit insanely difficult shots.
The Wolves lacked composure and basketball IQ early in the second quarter, though. Edwards was on the bench as part of his typical rotation, so Minnesota’s production naturally dipped. However, Gobert and Towns made ill-advised passes, which led to turnovers, and the officials whistled KAT for his third foul, which forced him to take a seat with 6:54 left until halftime.
The Wolves turned it over on their first two possessions after the under-seven timeout.
Minnesota had been professional and poised during most stretches of this series, but they weren’t on the same level early in Game 4. It’s hard enough to win as a road team making unnecessary errors, but it’s even more challenging in the postseason.
After committing five turnovers through the first 5:40 of the second quarter, Minnesota didn’t record another one the rest of the way, outscoring the Suns 15-9. They took care of the ball and didn’t foul. The Wolves committed three fouls in the second, dominating the glass with a 28-17 rebound advantage. Edwards also had huge, brilliant plays, like the one below. They were the primary reason Minnesota led 59-53 at the intermission.
After going 6 of 20 from three-point range in the first half, the Wolves open up the second half by going 2 of 3 from deep with back-to-back makes from Conley and Towns through the first 3:53 minutes in the third. Phoenix left KAT wide-open from his hot spot at the top of the key, and he laced it through the net after the Suns failed to rotate properly. The make give Karl seven early third-quarter points and forced Vogel to call timeout. It also gave the Wolves their largest lead of the night (11).
Towns’ three sucked the life out of Footprint Center. The possibility of going down 3-0 was looming, and boo-birds were chirping. Minnesota was on an extended 31-13 run with 4:51 left in the third, which ballooned their lead to 19. Nickeil Alexander-Walker spearheaded those efforts with nine points on 3 of 5 from deep through that stretch.
All series, the Wolves have sank their teeth into the Suns and put games to bed in the third quarter. Minnesota outscored Phoenix 36-20 in the third in Game 3, moving their third-quarter point differential through the first four games to a mind-boggling +34.
Vogel’s squad needed to remain composed to pick up their first postseason win. Instead, the Wolves dismantled them in the third.
“That 3rd quarter is kicking our ass, man,” Beal told the media after Game 3. “S—, I don’t know what you want me to say.”
The Suns entered the fourth down by 22 points. With 9:27 left in the game, Phoenix’s coaching staff went with a small-ball lineup. They substituted in Josh Okogie, replaced Eric Gordon with Jusuf Nurkic, and moved Durant to the five. The Suns rattled off three triples, going on a 9-1 run over the next 1:34 minutes and pulling within 13 points.
That small lineup with KD at the five gave the Suns a quick burst. As Wolves play-by-play man Michael Grady said, Phoenix played like they had nothing to lose. However, Minnesota did just enough to keep the Suns from getting back into the game. The Wolves outscored Phoenix by three over the last 7:53 minutes of the game, wrapping up Game 3 and sending Suns fans home in a disgruntled daze.
“We knew they were going to come out. The crowd was going to be loud. It’s their [first] home game,” Alexander-Walker told Bally Sports North’s Lea B. Olsen postgame. “They know if you win Game 3, you have a greater chance of making it in the series. We knew they were going to try to give us their best. They’re great players, and we know they are not just going to roll over and give us the game. So we had to make sure that we stayed locked in and stayed together, all 15 guys. Also, being prepared for whatever they threw at us, like the whistle.”
With their 126-109 win, the Wolves took their first 3-0 series lead in franchise history. It’s another record broken during this historic season. Minnesota further proved how lethal it can be when everyone plays for each other and has a unified goal. Game 3 also set a shockwave around the league. The Wolves are (officially) no longer a team opponents can take lightly.
The Suns will be fighting for pride on Sunday. They have only been swept once in franchise history, in the second round against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1982. They don’t want to have that happen again.
“I’ve never been swept a day in my life,” Beal said after Game 3, “so I’ll be damned if that happens.”
