Phoenix (AP) – Anthony Edwards scored 36 points, Rudy Gobert added 19 points and 14 rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves took advantage of an exciting third quarter to defeat the Phoenix Suns 126-109 on Friday night and take a 3-0 lead in the NBA. First round series.
Minnesota is headed for a sweep in Game 4 on Sunday in Phoenix.
This was the third match in a row in which Wolves used their big third to turn a tough game into a comfortable win. Minnesota hit 7 of 11 3-pointers during the surge, including four from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, to take a 22-point lead into the fourth.
Bradley Beal was the best scorer for the Suns with 28 points, while Kevin Durant scored 25 points, and Devin Booker scored 23 points.
Minnesota led by six points at halftime and extended its advantage to 69-58 early in the third after back-to-back 3-pointers from Mike Conley and Karl-Anthony Towns. Late in the third period, Alexander Walker hit his fourth 3-pointer of the quarter for a 95-73 lead.
The Wolves also dominated the glass, finishing with a 50-28 rebounding advantage.
Six Minnesota players scored in double figures. Towns finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Alexander Walker scored 16 points.
A listless Suns team was never able to cut the deficit to single digits in the fourth. Now they are one loss away from what could be a severely disappointing season after entering the year with championship aspirations.
Phoenix’s Josh Okogie was ejected late in the fourth period after a hard foul on Gobert.
The Timberwolves led 59-53 at halftime after a competitive first half. Edwards led the Wolves with 16 points, while Durant scored 14 points for the Suns. Eric Gordon gave Phoenix shine by scoring 10 points in the first quarter, but that did not last long.
The Suns were without starting guard Grayson Allen, who led the NBA in three-point shooting percentage this season. Allen is dealing with a sprained ankle from the first game that was aggravated in the second game.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
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