Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Fantasy Guru - Baseball

NBA Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves (25-21) vs. Phoenix Suns (24-21)

Western Conference counterparts vying for playoff positions meet on Wednesday when the Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Phoenix Suns.

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Minnesota comes into Phoenix riding a three-game winning streak, following a 100-92 home victory over Atlanta on Monday. Anthony Edwards scored 23 points, Julius Randle added 20, and Rudy Gobert contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Coach Chris Finch expressed frustration with the Timberwolves for squandering a 17-point halftime lead by allowing 31 points in the third quarter. They also finished with 18 turnovers. Despite some offensive missteps and the third-quarter lapse, Monday marked the 13th game this season that Minnesota held an opponent to fewer than 100 points. The Timberwolves are limiting opponents to 107.7 points per game, the fourth fewest in the NBA.

Minnesota holds a half-game lead over Phoenix in the conference, having played one game more than the Suns. Phoenix enters Wednesday’s matchup on a three-game winning streak, with Monday’s 111-109 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers marking their fifth win in the last six games.

Devin Booker scored 26 points, dished out eight assists, and grabbed seven rebounds, while Kevin Durant scored 24 points. They are leading Phoenix’s offense, with Durant averaging 27.1 points per game and Booker not far behind at 25.5. Booker is also just 118 points away from tying Walter Davis for the most career points ever scored by a Suns player, having amassed 15,548 points following Monday’s win. Booker has spent his entire NBA career with the Suns, starting in the 2015-16 season.

While Booker will play a crucial role in the team’s playoff push, the future of other contributors remains uncertain ahead of February’s trade deadline. Multiple outlets reported that Bradley Beal declined a deal that would have sent him to Chicago. Beal is averaging 16.9 points per game and has been coming off the bench for the Suns since January 6. Phoenix is 9-3 during that stretch.

The Suns are integrating Nick Richards into the lineup after acquiring him from Charlotte for swingman Josh Okogie. Richards has grabbed at least 11 rebounds in three of his first five games with the Suns and has moved into the starting rotation with Jusuf Nurkic out of the lineup since January 9.

The Phoenix frontcourt faces a physical matchup against Minnesota’s post players, Gobert and Randle. The Timberwolves could face uncertainty about their frontcourt depth, as Naz Reid left Monday’s game with a shoulder injury, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker exited with a reported lower-leg contusion.

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