The Minnesota Timberwolves (7-6) host the Phoenix Suns (9-4) at the Target Center, in what will be the first meeting between both teams since they met in the first round of the last playoffs, when Chris Finch’s team They swept their rival with a resounding 4-0. Now, the two teams will try to add a victory that allows them to remain in the noble zone of the classification.
Date and time of the Timberwolves vs Suns
Date: November 17.
Time: These are the start times of the Timberwolves vs. Suns depending on the time zone.
Site: Target Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Timberwolves Quintets vs. Suns
Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal will still not wear shorts due to their respective muscle problems. In addition, Grayson Allen will be a doubt until the last minute due to some discomfort in his hamstring. For their part, the Timberwolves do not have players on their injured list, so Chris Finch will be able to put his stellar starting five on the court.
Breaking news for the Timberwolves: injuries and form
The Timberwolves’ latest victory in overtime against the Sacramento Kings has returned a certain calm to the locker room, as it put an end to a streak of three consecutive losses, two of them against the Portland Trail Blazers from whom very, very little is expected this season. Anthony Edwards, who added 36 points, was key in neutralizing De’Aaron Fox’s outrageous 60 points.
The Timberwolves have started the season very irregularly, alternating good victories against Denver with painful setbacks against the Raptors or the Blazers themselves. There are three reasons for this. First of all, the adaptation process of Julius Randle continues, a profile that is not entirely easy to fit next to Rudy Gobert. On the other hand, Donte DiVincenzo does not finish carbureting and has been very far from the level shown in The Big Apple. And finally, Mike Conley’s 37 years are forcing Chris Finch to substantially control his minutes and give him rest in back-to-backs.
When they are active in defense they are capable of bothering any rival, although they have gone down a notch compared to last year. In attack they are abusing the outside shot: they are attempting nine more three-pointers per game (41.5) than last year (32.7). That is to say, they are placing a lot of offensive weight in the Russian roulette that can be long distance. In any case, being at home against the Suns with significant losses emerges as a good scenario to achieve victory.
Player to watch: Anthony Edwards
Not much is being said about Anthony Edwards due to the Timberwolves’ inconsistent start to the season, but his individual performance is surpassing what was seen last year. He is averaging a career-high 28.4 points, fueled by his 42.4% 3-point shooting. In fact, Minnesota is scoring 9.2 more points per hundred possessions with him on the court. Maybe at some point it is missing that he looks more for his teammate, but these Timberwolves are still reconfiguring after the departure of Towns.
Breaking news for the Suns: injuries and form
The Phoenix Suns are coming off their worst performance of the season after scoring just 83 points in this Friday’s defeat of the Oklahoma City Thunder. They had previously lost twice to the Sacramento Kings and the only victory in the last four games was against the Utah Jazz located at the bottom of the Western Conference.
It is no coincidence that these three setbacks have coincided with the injury of Kevin Durant, who began the season at a sensational level, as witnessed by his 27.6 points per evening. As if that were not enough, Bradley Beal has also missed the last two games, which has significantly diminished the Suns’ offensive potential: to be in the Top 10 in offensive ratio They have fallen to 23rd position in this section.
Thus, Arizona needs to revive its attack to remain competitive during the absence of its stars. And the Timberwolves have many defensive weapons to contain Devin Booker and close the outside shot. It’s all about moving the ball quickly, finding shooters, making free throws and, of course, also applying yourself on defense, an aspect in which the Suns have not been particularly solid.
Player to watch: Devin Booker
Devin Booker did not have a good game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and now he will face them once again against another of the best defenses in the NBA. Against the Thunder he was limited to just 12 points and is averaging 22.5 points at the start of the campaign. If the Suns want to get their teeth into Minnesota, they’re going to need the best Booker, scoring, of course, but also running the offense, with the help of Tyus Jones.
Timberwolves vs. Suns: history of confrontations
The Phoenix Suns dominate their rival this Sunday with authority in the head-to-head historic: they have 83 victories in the 127 regular season games in which they have faced each other. In addition, those from Arizona have had four consecutive wins in regular season against the Timberwolves, the last three by ten or more points difference. Of course, the Timberwolves swept Phoenix off the map in the last playoffs 4-0.
Predictions for the Timberwolves vs. Suns
Controlling Devin Booker. If Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker take turns guarding the shooting guard, the Suns will lose much of their offensive power. That could be enough for the Timberwolves to take the victory, no matter how bad they are also on offense. They have more weapons than these Suns and stopping Booker will mean solving the big rival problem.
A second determining unit. Minnesota has one of the deepest benches in the NBA. Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Rob Dillingham all manage to top 40 points as part of the second unit if they have the day. Not only that, but they make up a very versatile series of replacements, capable of opening the court, adding rebounds and providing defense. Royce O’Neale and Monte Morris seem insufficient to counter them.
Confrontation of styles. Under normal conditions, without physical problems or injuries, the Suns and Timberwolves perfectly represent the antithesis of styles: virtuous attack against elite defense. However, Phoenix’s firepower drops considerably without Durant and Beal. Mike Budenholzer’s men will have to compensate for these losses with defense to make the Timberwolves uncomfortable and take the game to a slower and more difficult pace.
Where to watch the Timberwolves vs. Suns
The match between Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns can be seen in Spain through the NBA League Pass subscription and also on the Vamos channel of Movistar Plus.
