Suns React to Massive Win in Season Finale

The Phoenix Suns played some of their best basketball against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Apr 14, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Frank Vogel speaks with forward / Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns have been wildly up and down this season as a basketball team, though they pulled through when they needed it most in Sunday's victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The victory - paired with a New Orleans Pelicans loss - saw the Suns jump to the sixth spot in the Western Conference, which ensures they'll have nearly a week to rest while avoiding the play-in tournament.

After the game, numerous Suns touched on the victory.

(all quotes provided by the Timberwolves' Media Relations department)

SUNS HEAD COACH FRANK VOGEL

On the team’s strong start…
"Our guys are very motivated, a lot of talk the last two days about not moving the ball well enough offensively against (Sacramento Kings) the other night. Our team scoring 45 points in a half, we’re capable of scoring 45 points in a quarter and we showed that in the first quarter tonight. We came in with some offensive swag, but it really was about the defensive side of the ball, I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of a team that forced 19 turnovers in a half before. We were flying around, our gap activity was great, our coverage execution was great, and it’s a snapshot of what we look like when we can be at our best.”

On avoiding the Play-In Tournament…
"We’re excited about it; I mean we wanted to finish in the top six. We would’ve been confident in a Play-In game, but you avoid the possibility of a bad shooting night or a rolled ankle or something changing the fate of your season. We were motivated to play all 82, it was going to take all 82. Ten games ago we looked at the quote-on-quote, 'Hardest schedule in the league by far.' Ten straight opponents that were in the top six and we went 7-3 during that stretch. We also said that level of competition is gonna sharpen us and help us reach our highest level. I think you saw that with how we played today.”

SUNS FORWARD KEVIN DURANT

On what they did well…
"Defensively, we forced a lot of turnovers, got a transition, we were able to keep our bodies in front of the basketball which was key. It was able to get off to a great start, made shots, but our defense was the reason we were able to sustain what we did in the first quarter, up til the fourth. Teams can get hot; teams can go and make eight threes, but I think our defense is what kept that lead. They cut it to ten, and we just kept pushing that lead back up. It’s all about how we defend.”

On how everything unfolded in the league…
"It’s crazy. It’s a long season, you gotta play every game down to the wire. Every game matters. Lotta game. Each team in this league feels like they might’ve gave away six or seven wins, you know, that’s just a part of the NBA. Part of the grind. But it was good that we was able to come here and control our destiny a little bit in the last game. Glad the Lakers came out there and did their thing too.”

SUNS GUARD DEVIN BOOKER

On how everything unfolded in the league…
"It’s crazy how everything worked out. Long season, I keep saying the play-in makes a lot of things interesting. I think, moving forward, everybody’s gonna value every game more, not just the final stretch. Those losses at the beginning of the season that you usually forget about, can come back and haunt you.”

On the first quarter…
"Just everybody was connected, everybody was communicating. That’s what it comes down to for us. We know we’ll figure things out in the offense, and even though we can get sloppy at times, if we can hang our head on the defensive end like we did, and force them into the turnovers like we did, we’ll be in pretty good shape.”

Phoenix will play the Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA playoffs, which begins on April 20.