Minneapolis, March 24 (BUS): The NBA’s leading Phoenix Suns team, which still plays with short hands, has passed another severe test.
Even before Chris Paul returns, they seem more than ready for another deep post-season run, the AP reports.
Dender Eaton scored 35 points and 14 rebounds, while Devin Booker scored 22 of 28 points in the second half and the Suns overcame the Minnesota Timberwolves 125-116 on Wednesday night.
Landry Shamet scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter to help fuel the rally from a 15-point deficit.
Phoenix needs one win – or a Memphis loss – to end the home ground advantage in the entire playoffs. The Suns led by nine games with nine remaining. They have won six times in a row, 18 of 22 and 59-14 overall.
“This is a watershed environment,” said Eaton, who grabbed the match ball for his career match on the podium afterwards for the interview session.
Phoenix completed his first sweep of three or more games against Minnesota in 11 seasons.
Anthony Edwards scored 19 points and Karl Anthony Towns 15 points and 11 rebounds for Timberwolves. They lost 1 1/2 games behind Denver to the No. 6 seed who avoided playing in the tournament. Minnesota has its first losing streak in two games since February 9-11.
Towns had only three points in the second half. It seemed to spark a conversation about rubbish and tough stuff that led to three technical fouls and one blatant foul that summoned each team.
The sun certainly wasn’t bothered by that.
“I don’t think we were talking much until they started it, to be completely honest,” said Booker, a close friend of Towns and Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell. “It’s a long game. We’ve seen this situation many times before – the team goes out, gets hotter and rests. We’ve stuck with what we’re doing.”
Towns was called to foul Flagrant 1 with 8:35 to go to Chamet, who gave the Suns their first lead at 95-94 with a pair of free throws. They stayed ahead the rest of the way.
“I think that changed the game, unfortunately,” Townes said.
The Suns, who confidently maintained their comfortable margin for the best record in the NBA without the play industry and led All-Star Paul 12 times last month, were also playing without sixth man Cam Johnson. They are 11-4 since Paul broke his right thumb.
The Suns never wavered from a promising team trying to make their way with youthful energy, deep attack and a dose of bravado. The Timberwolves were bested 42-28 in the fourth quarter by the Suns, aged 29-6 on the road — better than every other NBA team’s home run scored.
“We know where we want to go. You have to win games like this on the road. So this is not just an exercise for us. We appreciate these experiences, you have to have a level of mental fortitude and stamina,” said coach Monty Williams.
Elite Company
Booker has reached the 11,000 point mark in his career. He is the fourth youngest player in NBA history to reach there, behind LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant.
Back and forth
Cities drove to the basket late in the second quarter and handed a one-handed dunk to Jae Crowder with a stare, igniting the crowd and enraging the Suns. Just a few seconds later, a double technical fault was called on Towns and Crowder. Then Timberwolves coach Chris Finch got one, too, for his protest.
Crowder later clipped Timberwolves Patrick Beverley’s lesion in the head for a Flagrant 1 foul after reviewing the video, putting Beverly on the line after the first half ended.
Eaton and Booker both got techniques in the second half.
Both teams were crying a lot. “The judges definitely got it,” said Eaton, laughing. “They didn’t hear a word after that. I shut up then.”
down the extension
The Timberwolves will have a tiebreak on the Nuggets, but they have two more losses. Their game in Denver on April 1 may be the deciding factor.
The Nuggets have nine games left, and five are against teams that were 10 or more games under the .500 mark entering Wednesday. Timberwolves have eight games left, five games against opponents eight or more .500 games.
Hint
Suns: Michael Bridges got 16 points. …Cam Payne, Paul’s backup, is back in the squad after missing the previous game due to illness. …Aton has 119 points in six career games against Minnesota.
Timberwolves: Towns also crossed the 11,000-point mark in the 475th game of his career. Hall of Fame member Kevin Garnett is the only other player in franchise history to reach this milestone, having done so in 575 games. … he was off the bench leading 55-28 goals over the Suns. The Timberwolves have fallen to 21-10 this season when their reserve scored more than 40 points.
next one
Suns: In Denver Thursday night.
Timberwolves: Host Dallas Friday night.