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Suns Battle it Out with T-Wolves, Trail at Halftime

© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA is on its last lap for the season, and the Phoenix Suns are in good standing for the playoffs. The Minnesota Timberwolves came into town on Wednesday, part of the Suns’ two-game homestay.

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Kevin Durant was back in action also, making his home debut for the Phoenix Suns. Finally back at full strength, Phoenix could put together the final pieces ahead of the postseason.

Minnesota has made a way into the seventh seed, making the next few games critical for avoiding the play-in tournament.

Karl-Anthony Towns went to work in the first half for 20 points and eight rebounds, shooting 4-of-7 from downtown.

It was a close battle for Phoenix, as they trail 51-48 to the Timberwolves at halftime.

Slow Start for Durant

The hope for Durant was that he’d have the same performance as his original debut against the Charlotte Hornets. Durant dropped 23 against Charlotte along with six rebounds and two blocks.

Durant’s homecoming didn’t go as planned as first, as the superstar forward went scoreless until the (6:32) mark of the second quarter. The 12-time All-Star cashed in on one free-throw for his first point. He went 0-for-6 from the field prior to that.

The correlation could be made that Durant’s slow start allowed the Timberwolves to stay in the contest for the first half. To his credit, it was only the third time in his career that he’d went 0-for-6  to start a game.

Luckily, Durant isn’t the Suns’ only weapon, with Devin Booker and others keeping Phoenix in the contest.

Low Scoring Half

The first half didn’t see many fireworks from either team. The Suns shot 38.9 percent from the field, while the T-Wolves went 43 percent from the floor.

Minnesota didn’t do themselves any favors with a 10:1 turnover ratio compared to Phoenix.

As such, the door is still very much open for either team to apply pressure in the second half. Booker has taken a brief step back so far, allowing for Durant to get his rhythm.

Hopefully, as the third quarter commences, Durant can increase his production while playing in limited action.

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