Who: Phoenix Suns (13-10) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (15-8)
When: 5:30pm Arizona Time
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Watch: Peacock
Listen: KMVP 98.7, KSUN
After a week with just two games, the
Phoenix Suns will face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a rematch of one of the most exhilarating Suns games in recent memory. Down eight with less than a minute left, Phoenix mounted an improbable comeback capped by a Collin Gillespie game-winner in the waning moments.
The Suns are going to need some magic tonight if they want to pull off the upset. Devin Booker remains out, and Dillon Brooks is questionable with Achilles soreness. After a rough patch, Minnesota is one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning its last five, including a contest where they scored 149 points.
Minnesota is heavy favorites on FanDuel Sports Book. The Suns are going to have their hands full tonight.
Probable Starters
Injury Report:
Phoenix
- Devin Booker — OUT (Right Groin Strain)
- Dillon Brooks — QUESTIONABLE (Left Achilles Soreness)
- Jalen Green — OUT (Right Hamstring Strain)
- Isaiah Livers — OUT (Right Hip Strain)
Minnesota
- Anthony Edwards — QUESTIONABLE (Illness)
- Enrique Freeman — AVAILABLE (Face Mask)
- Terrence Shannon Jr. — QUESTIONABLE (Illness)
- Zikarsky Rocco — OUT (Two-Way)
What to Watch For
How does the Suns offense respond after one of their most anemic halves of the season? Phoenix scored just 40 points in the second half against the Rockets on Friday, including 14 points in the third quarter. The Suns may be playing without their second-leading scorer in Dillon Brooks.
What will be Jordan Ott and crew’s solution to his absence if he’s out with Devin Booker, already missing for the game? Will the team lean into Collin Gillespie running the majority of the offense? Is this an opportunity for Grayson Allen to get going? He’s off to a slow start since returning from his quad injury over a week ago. Allen is the team’s third leading scorer this season, averaging 17.3 points per game, shooting 45% from the field and 42% from three. In his two games since returning from injury, he’s averaging 9.5 points per game, shooting 30% from the field and 21% from three.
Key to a Suns Win
The Suns need to lean into the identity that they are trying to create, and that people around the NBA are giving them.
Just like in their first game against the Timberwolves this season, the Suns are going to need to play hard, consistently be the first ones on the floor for loose balls, and stay resilient if they get down. With Booker out and potentially Brooks too, Phoenix needs to lean into the culture they’ve established to pull off the upset. It’s what helped them control the tempo and intensity against the Los Angeles Lakers last week, despite Booker going down in the first quarter.
Prediction
I don’t expect the Suns to lay down, but they’ll definitely have their hands full tonight, whether Brooks plays or not. Minnesota has one of the longest current win streaks in the association and is especially strong on the road. Timberwolves win, but it’ll be a solid national showdown.
Timberwolves 119, Suns 113
