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The Phoenix Suns will face the No. 3 seed Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs. The Suns, who are the No. 6 seed, are seeking a championship, which would be their first in their history.
“We had a couple stinkers,” Phoenix’s coach, Frank Vogel, concurred Sunday, via Duane Rankin. “But overall, over this 10-game stretch, we’re hitting our stride.”
Phoenix secured the No. 6 seed with a 125-106 win over Minnesota on the road on Sunday. The Suns trailed the New Orleans Pelicans by one game, but they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, giving the Suns control of No. 6.
Here are five bold predictions for the series.
The Suns steal one of the first two games
Phoenix wanted Minnesota, and it got it. The Suns went 3-0 against the Timberwolves in the regular season.
The win on Sunday came after the Suns beat the T-Wolves in Phoenix just nine days ago.
“You can’t make too much of the regular-season matchups,” Vogel said, via AZCentral. “I love their team…they got a lot of talent on that roster, both sides of the ball, offensive talent and defensive talent.
“It’s going to be a dogfight.”
Kevin Durant is the Suns’ leading rebounder
The Suns have one of the best defensive rebounders in the NBA, Jusuf Nurkic. But it is more likely than not Nurkic, who is a bit slower as a 7-footer, will be relied on in lineups to counter bigger opponents. The Timberwolves deploy 7-footer Rudy Gobert, but the Suns have had success with lineups in which forward Kevin Durant plays the five.
If Phoenix is going to make the Timberwolves uncomfortable like it did on Sunday, forcing 24 turnovers including 19 at halftime, it will have to play with pace.
The Suns win the series in seven
Phoenix is looking to win a championship, since it has Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker. The Suns played perhaps their toughest game from start to finish against Minnesota this Sunday.
Anthony Edwards is a playoff competitor. He will be a difficult guard for the Suns, who do not have a true point-of-attack defender.
Edwards pushed the defending-champion Denver Nuggets in last year’s first round.
Devin Booker leads the Suns in scoring
Booker in the 2023 playoffs became the first player since Michael Jordan to have at least 300 points through a nine-game playoff stretch. He did so on 70% true shooting.
In the last four months, Booker has been the team’s primary scorer even with Durant next to him. He shined in the playoffs last season and can lead the Suns to an upset in the first round if he rises like he can.
Suns face Lakers in conference semifinals
Phoenix will face the winner of the No. 2 Denver Nuggets and No. 7 seed, which could be the New Orleans Pelicans or Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron James and LA helped the Suns’ cause with a blowout 124-108 win over New Orleans and Zion Williamson on Sunday, allowing the Suns to tie the Pelicans’ 49-33 record and steal the sixth seed.
ClutchPoints is predicting the Lakers, the No. 8 seed, to beat the Pelicans in the play-in on Tuesday, setting up a Western Conference Finals rematch against Nikola Jokic and Denver.
Game 1 between the Suns and Timberwolves is Saturday at a time to be determined.
More must-reads:
- Rich Paul details Suns' 'catastrophe' following their playoff elimination
- Knicks wing out for Game 5 against 76ers
- The 'Most points in a playoff game by team' quiz
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