The Phoenix Suns (outside of Damion Lee) and Minnesota Timberwolves will both be at full strength for Game 1 of their first-round series, which begins tomorrow in Minnesota at 12:30 p.m. MST.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Only Lee (right meniscus surgery) is listed as out for either team, as the Suns’ guard missed the entire regular season and remains out, but could come back sometime during the postseason.Â
The No. 6 Suns swept the regular season series 3-0 over the No. 3 Timberwolves this year and never led by less than double digits in the second half of any of these three games. The Suns last got a commanding 125-106 win in the season finale on Sunday at Target Center, which ironically had a start time of 12:30 as well.
Minnesota finished the season ranked No. 1 in defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) at 108.4, No. 1 in fewest points allowed per game (106.5) and No. 1 in opponent field-goal percentage (45%).
In three games against the Suns, those numbers dropped to a 123.7 defensive rating (the worst mark for any team this season across 82 games was 119.6), 118.3 points allowed per game and an allowed field-goal percentage of 53.0%.
With Game 1 being in Minnesota, the Timberwolves are 30-11 at home this season, while the Suns boast a road record of 24-17.
Can the Suns keep up this regular-season success in the playoffs?
Check out several of our preview articles on the series and four preview Podcasts on burncitysports.com.
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
