CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Minnesota Timberwolves have been one of the NBA’s hottest teams all season. They’ve kept it rolling into their first-round NBA playoff series with the Phoenix Suns as well, taking a 2-0 lead as the series heads to the desert for Game 3.
Tipoff between these two Western Conference foes is set for Friday at 10:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
Several streaming services will broadcast the game live, and you can watch for free on Fubo and DirecTV Stream, which offer free trials. Fans can also try Sling, which features promotional offers for new customers.
The Phoenix Suns were one of the most talked-about teams in the NBA this season after adding Bradley Beal to the mix during the offseason. The Minnesota Timberwolves were also expected to be good, but seeing them have their way against a team with the star power of the Suns is a stark contrast to their past, where they spent years floating between the middle and bottom of the pack.
A lot of Minnesota’s success has to do with Anthony Edwards taking a leap, but Karl Anthony-Towns, Rudy Gobert, Jayden McDaniels and Naz Ried are also performing at the highest level of their careers.
Still, the Timberwolves have to win two more games to advance, and they are about to get the Suns’ best shot.
Here are more details about how to watch Game 3:
- Who: Phoenix Suns vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
- When: Friday, April 26, 2024
- Where: Footprint Center | Phoenix, Ariz.
- Time: 10:30 p.m. Eastern
- Channel: ESPN
- Best Streaming Options: Fubo, DirecTV Stream and Sling.
Here is some additional background on Game 3 between the Timberwolves and Suns from the Associated Press.
The Phoenix Suns and their so-called Big Three return home to the desert in a big pickle.
Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and the Suns are in a 2-0 hole heading into Friday’s Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who looked mostly dominant in a pair of double-digit wins in the first two games.
There are two more Game 3s on Friday, including the Bucks at the Pacers and the Clippers at Dallas. Both of those series are tied at 1-1.
Durant has been on a team that recovered from a 2-0 deficit to win a series — the 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder — but said there’s no advice he or anyone else can give to pull the Suns out of their current predicament.
Instead, they just have to play better.
“You can talk all you want, but if you don’t execute what you just talked about, it does you no good,” Durant said. “Talking and rah-rah speeches are cool to a certain point, but you’ve got to go out there and execute.
“We haven’t done that. We’ve done it in spurts, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not good enough doing it in spurts.”
The Suns hoped to be one of the NBA’s best teams this year after acquiring Beal in an offseason trade, adding the three-time All-Star to a roster that already included Durant and Booker. But Beal’s myriad of injuries early in the season kept him out of the lineup for long stretches, and the group never quite found consistent cohesion.
A 10-4 record to close the regular season was encouraging, but the first two games of the playoffs were not. Now there are only a few more chances to get it right, or the season ends in disappointment.
TIMBERWOLVES AT SUNS
Minnesota leads 2-0. Game 3, 10:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN
NEED TO KNOW
The Timberwolves dominated a big chunk of the first two games, defending home court with a pair of double-digit wins. Anthony Edwards scored 33 points in Game 1 while Jaden McDaniels had a playoff-best 25 points in Game 2. Phoenix’s star trio of Durant, Booker and Beal shot just 18 of 45 from the field in Game 2 and if the group doesn’t find its rhythm soon, it’ll be a short trip to the postseason.
KEEP AN EYE ON
Minnesota’s Naz Reid was named the NBA’s sixth man of the year on Thursday after a stellar regular season, averaging 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds. But the 6-foot-9 forward was relatively quiet in the first two games, averaging 8.5 points on 33% shooting. If he gets going, it’ll be even tougher for the Suns to pull off a series comeback.
INJURY WATCH
Suns guard Grayson Allen aggravated the sprained right ankle he suffered in the series opener, forcing him to hobble off in the third quarter of Game 2. He led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage this season and is vital in helping Phoenix spread the floor so Durant, Booker and Beal have more room to operate. Allen said he felt “better than expected” on Thursday, but is still questionable for Friday’s game.
PRESSURE IS ON
Phoenix’s ballhandlers. The Suns have had the same problems for much of the season, particularly with turnovers. The roster doesn’t have a true point guard, leaving Beal and Booker to do much of the distributing. It didn’t work in Game 2, with the pair combining for 10 of the team’s 19 turnovers. A friendly home crowd should bolster the Suns’ chances in Game 3, but that hasn’t always helped. Phoenix has been eliminated from the playoffs in embarrassing blowouts in each of the past two seasons.