Anthony Edwards shook off first-half foul trouble to score a game-high 33 points as the host Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Phoenix Suns 120-95 on Saturday in Game 1 of a Western Conference first-round playoff series.
With 3:18 left until intermission, Edwards was forced to go to the bench after picking up his third foul.
But he quickly made up for the missed time by erupting for 18 points in the third quarter, helping Minnesota turn a close game into a blowout.
Phoenix was within 71-67 following a Bradley Beal jumper with 7:03 remaining in the third, but that was the closest the Suns would get. The Timberwolves proceeded to score 21 of the final 26 points of the frame, 14 of which came from Edwards.
Minnesota took a 92-72 cushion into the fourth, and it was never seriously threatened over the final 12 minutes.
“We (needed) to take our game to another level,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “We had to play desperate basketball, with a chip on our shoulder, like we did early in the season when we were trying to establish ourselves.”
Edwards made 14 of 24 shots from the field, including 4 of 8 from deep. Karl-Anthony Towns added 19 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker chipped in 18 and Rudy Gobert went for 14 to go along with 16 rebounds.
The Timberwolves outshot Phoenix 50 percent to 44 percent overall while moving one step closer to their first Western Conference semifinals appearance since 2004.
Kevin Durant supplied 31 points and seven boards for the Suns, who are in the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. Devin Booker had 18 points and Beal netted 15.
With Minnesota leading 69-58 with 9:05 remaining in the third quarter, Phoenix received a jolt from Durant, who nailed a triple and a jumper as part of a 9-2 run that got the Suns within 71-67.
The hosts created some separation late in the first half, using an 8-2 spurt to go up 51-41 with 3:27 left in the second quarter.
Durant stemmed the tide with a pair of free throws that resulted from Edwards’ third foul, but the Timberwolves managed to carry a 61-51 advantage into the break.
Neither team led by more than five in a tight first quarter that ended with Phoenix in front at 28-27.
Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday night in Minneapolis.
“I know it’s the playoffs and I know it’s a new season, but we’ve been around each other all season,” Durant said. “It’s not like anything’s new when we step on the floor. We just gotta revert back to the stuff that we did throughout the whole season that helped us be successful and move on.”
–Field Level Media
