Timberwolves Sweep Suns Behind Edwards' 40 Points

In a decisive move, Anthony Edwards led the charge for the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring 31 of his 40 points in the second half, as they secured a 122-116 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night, completing a first-round playoff series sweep.

Early in the third quarter, Edwards noticed a change in the Suns' defensive strategy, opting to play him one-on-one instead of utilizing double teams as they did in the first half. Taking it as a challenge, Edwards rose to the occasion, demonstrating his scoring prowess. Coach Chris Finch unfortunately had to leave the game late in the fourth quarter due to an inadvertent collision with Wolves guard Mike Conley. The team later confirmed that Finch had a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee. Edwards' standout performance included shooting 13 of 23 from the field, including 7 of 13 from 3-point range. The 22-year-old's powerful one-handed jam with 2:14 left in the game gave Minnesota a crucial 115-111 lead. Despite Devin Booker's impressive 49-point performance for the Suns, with 33 points from Kevin Durant, the rest of the Suns struggled, allowing the Timberwolves to maintain their lead. Assistant coach Micah Nori took over for Finch for the final 1:41, and the Wolves closed out the game with relative ease. Jaden McDaniels contributed 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting for the Timberwolves, who also dominated the rebounding battle with a 44-33 advantage. In a tight fourth quarter, the Suns managed to tie the game at 107, but timely 3-pointers from Edwards and McDaniels secured the win for Minnesota.