The Phoenix Suns renew their rivalry against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday evening. It is the second meeting of the season but will be the first where Phoenix has Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Tonight won’t be about the Jimmy Butler trade rumors or owner Mat Ishbia’s bold moves. This will be another tense matchup with plenty on the line.
The Wolves won the opening matchup this season and made it a rivalry by sweeping the Suns in the first round of the playoff in 2024. It was a breakout moment for Anthony Edwards to knock off his idol in the first steps to reaching the conference finals. Minnesota has dominated the recent matchups, but that wasn’t always the case.
The Timberwolves have won five straight meetings, but Phoenix has a massive edge in the series since 2019. Here is a look at the recent matchups and what fans should expect on Jan. 29.
Suns have lost 5 straight but used to dominate the Timberwolves
Phoenix defeated the Timberwolves 125-106 on April 14, 2024. It was the final game of the regular season and locked in their first-round playoff matchup. The Suns won all three regular-season meetings in the 2023-24 season and went 13-2 dating back to the 2019-2020 season.
That feels like ancient history after last year’s playoff sweep. Anthony Edwards averaged 31.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.0 steals in that first-round series. He included some trash talk to his favorite player growing up and some negative feelings after sweeping Durant and the Suns. The duo grew closer after helping Team USA win the Olympic gold medal over the summer, and fans can expect plenty of heat in Wednesday’s matchup.
The Suns depth killed them in the 2024 playoffs. Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal were the only players to average more than eight points per game. Jusuf Nurkic, Drew Eubanks, and Josh Okogie were forced to play significant minutes. Phoenix has more firepower, but it may not be enough on Wednesday night.
The teams both have high aspirations this season and have disappointed in the first half. They are separated by just 0.5 games in the standings, but would be facing off in the Play-In Tournament if the season ended after the games on Jan. 28. It is certainly not where the title hopefuls want to be.
Can the Suns solve Edwards and the Wolves? They added Nick Richards to help matchup against Rudy Gobert, but Minnesota has owned the recent matchups. Will it be more of the same on Wednesday night? Fans certainly won’t want to miss it.