How Suns Can Win Game 4, Avoid T-Wolves Sweep

The Suns need to do these things to win Game 4 against the Timberwolves.

Apr 26, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) goes up for a layup against / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns are notably the second team to go down 3-0 in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs, following in the footsteps of the Los Angeles Lakers.

No team has ever come back from down 3-0 to win a series in postseason history.

It's ultimately up to the Suns if they want to extend the season tomorrow night. There were various things that the squad were doing that gave the Minnesota Timberwolves trouble in the first half of Game 3, but it wasn't enough once the foot was taken off the gas.

Three things the Suns must emphasize going into the do-or-die Game 4:

3. Three-Point Volume

The Suns were on the right track early on in Game 3 - they attempted nine shots from behind the arc in quarter 1, hitting on four of those shots.

They eventually only attempted 19 more the rest of the game - or 36 minutes for better reference.

It's simply unacceptable for a team with as much shooting talent to not emphasize volume from behind the arc.

Even the heavy underdog Miami Heat stole a game from the Boston Celtics on the road due to an explosion in three-point attempts - and Phoenix would be wise to follow suit.

The Suns have to get up 40 attempts tomorrow night to have a good feeling about taking the series back to Minneapolis.

2. Avoid Turnovers

Turnovers weren't an issue in the loss last night.

As a matter of fact, Phoenix only turned the ball over nine times - which would have equated to much more tangible success had more routine jumpers been hit in the third quarter.

The Suns need to keep up taking care of the ball tomorrow night.

Frankly put, the Suns have a near-zero chance of winning Game 4 if they accumulate more than a dozen turnovers. The Wolves simply are a team that will punish you more than about anyone else when playing sloppy.

The Suns need to play a crisp, under control game - the shots will fall when this happens (hopefully).

1. Approximate Minnesota Physicality

Minnesota's dominance in this series has been most frequently tied to the physicality level the entire roster possesses.

The T-Wolves have dictated the vast majority of the series and have set the tone early for the most part.

Phoenix doesn't have the same amount of "bruisers" that Minnesota does, but Suns coach Frank Vogel could make a last-ditch effort by giving Josh Okogie more run - and perhaps even giving a little-used player such as David Roddy run in an attempt to flip the script.