Experts Make Suns vs Timberwolves Predictions
The NBA Playoffs begin today - here's who experts believe will emerge from Suns vs Wolves.
PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves are just moments away from beginning their first-round playoff series, and the two sides project to make this series one of the more interesting slates across the two conferences.
Phoenix emerged victorious in all three prior matchups against Minnesota - but we all know playoff settings create entirely different atmospheres.
Here's who experts across the web believe will advance:
NBA.com: Suns in Six
"The Wolves had the second-best season in franchise history and their “reward” is getting the worst possible first-round matchup. They’re spooked by the Suns, who led by double-figures during the second halves of every meeting this season. Anthony Edwards will need an epic nightly performance just to keep it suspenseful. And he might." –Shaun Powell
The Athletic: Suns in Six
"After a series of fits and starts, Phoenix closed the year on a 30-15 clip and finally projects as the team we thought it might be at the start of the season. The Suns aren’t deep, but their starting five had a plus-11.1 per 100 scoring margin, and several units with Eric Gordon or Royce O’Neale were nearly as good. Phoenix may not have the depth to make a deep run, especially up front, and health worries always hang over this team’s four best players. But in a single short series against a perfect matchup for them, where they come in healthy? Yeah, they’re a handful." - John Hollinger
CBS Sports: Wolves in Seven
"I've gone back and forth on this series a few times. The Suns' regular-season dominance in this matchup does feel meaningful, but I do not trust their defense or anyone on their bench, and it feels like they'll have to be perfect on offense to win this series. They very well might be given their talent, but I'm going to play the percentages here and take the Wolves." - Jack Maloney
Bleacher Report: Wolves in Seven
"Assuming Minnesota's defense remains elite, the return of Karl-Anthony Towns combined with the steady play of Mike Conley and Edwards going superhuman at times will eventually knock the Suns out." - Greg Swartz
Sporting News: Suns
"This is going to be a weird series for Karl-Anthony Towns. Who does he defend? There's a lot of stuff that Minnesota likes to do that won't work that well against Phoenix." - Stephen Noh
Fox Sports: Wolves in Seven
"This is a really tough matchup for the Wolves. No team is more equipped to take advantage of their drop defense and the way Rudy Gobert walls off the rim than Phoenix's midrange snipers. That said, I think Minnesota has enough wing defenders (Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels specifically, but also Kyle Anderson) to make life for Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal difficult. And I think Minnesota head coach Chris Finch is creative enough to come up with schemes that prevent the Suns from killing them in the midrange. All that said, this series is going to be close." - Yaron Weitzman
