The Minnesota Timberwolves(56-26) beat the Phoenix Suns(49-33) in game two of the playoffs, giving them a strong lead in the series. The home team held the lead for the majority of the game, but there were many moments where Phoenix almost took it from them.
Furthermore, neither team played their best basketball. Minnesota had a slight edge over Phoenix because they played just a bit better. However, neither of these teams should be proud of the way they performed in the game tonight. The winner of game three will be the team whose stars step up and do better.
Timberwolves Biggest Stars Flop in Game Two
The Timberwolves have two major players. They are Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards. In the regular season, Edwards leads the team in scoring with 25.9 points per game. He also averaged 5.4 rebounds per game and 5.1 assists per game. Tonight, he only put up 15 points for his team.
Towns gave his team 21.8 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game, and 3.0 assists per game in the regular season. However, tonight, he only had 12 points, which is why they only managed to score 105 points in the end. He heavily struggled against the Sun’s defense.
If this happens again in game three, expect the Phoenix Suns to capitalize. They can’t play like this on the road, or it will lead to a loss. It is incredibly disappointing to see these numbers when Edwards had 33 points and Towns had 19 points in game one of the series.
The Player That Stepped Up
Even though the stars didn’t do their best, one player stepped up in a big way for the team. Jaden McDaniels averaged 10.5 points per game, 3.1 rebounds per game, and 1.4 assists per game. Tonight, he gave the Timberwolves 25 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
Those 25 points were crucial in the Timberwolves winning game two. Without his strong performance, the Phoenix Suns would have probably won. This goes to show that the playoffs sometimes put a spotlight on the most unlikely of players, as proven by Nicolas Batum in his big play-in game for the Philadelphia 76ers.
McDaniels should be proud of his big night. Also, the team should be grateful for Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley Jr., who both scored 18 points.
Can the Timberwolves Take a 3-0 Lead on the Series?
Devin Booker has yet to have a great game for his team. Tonight, he scored 20 points, and in his first game, he scored 18. In the regular season, he was averaging 27.1 points per game. Until Booker can get on track, the Minnesota Timberwolves are going to take advantage of the low-scoring.
Even with the low scoring from the Suns, Minnesota needs to have their stars performing to the best of their ability. Low-scoring games happen, but they can’t be consistent in the playoffs. Edwards and Towns need to step up and do better for game three.
Playing poorly twice in a row is not an option. Jaden McDaniels will probably not hit 25 points in the next game. If he does, that’s great, but he can’t be the main point provider. Head coach Chris Finch needs to draw up a plan for his stars to thrive.
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Elizabeth is an avid watcher of all things sports. However, the Boston sports teams will always be her number one. Her favorite sport to watch is basketball, but she also enjoys professional wrestling, soccer, and baseball. You can find her on X @edellapiana1 to check out more content.
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