Fans of the Phoenix Suns must be frustrated over the Game 2 loss the team suffered against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
After a stellar first half where the Suns seemed to be in control, their game collapsed, and the Wolves took the chance. Beyond the errors they had during the game, there were areas where they excelled and should capitalize on as they defend their homecourt in Game 3.
The Suns looked poised to snatch a win on the road in Game 2 as they built an early lead. Although it wasn't a sizable one, it gave the team and fans hope they could at least figure out the Wolves' defense. But the turnovers and lack of adjustments on the opponents' defense cost them the game.
The Big 3 struggled to be effective on the offensive end, with Devin Booker as the only player to reach the 20-point mark. Minnesota hounded the stars on defense like a pack of wolves (pun intended), which restricted their offense.
Even Kevin Durant, a prolific scorer, was shut down by Rudy Gobert on more than one occasion. Bradley Beal also struggled, as the Wolves defense made it hard for him to dribble around.
However, there were areas on the floor that were effective for the Suns, the team just didn't capitalize on it. This could be the loophole to Minny's defense.
These areas on the floor helped them to have an advantage over the tough defensive Wolves team. As they protect homecourt in Game 3, these areas should be the focus of the coaching staff and the players.
3. Putting KAT in early foul trouble
The first half of Game 2 belonged to the Suns primarily because they targeted Karl-Anthony Towns on defense. It's widely known that KAT isn't the best defender in the Wolves' lineup. He only played eight minutes in the first half and wasn't back in the game until the third quarter since he had three early fouls.
Karl-Anthony Towns' foul trouble doesn't faze Timberwolves https://t.co/YXoMvgNHf3
— Star Tribune (@StarTribune) April 24, 2024
The stars targeted KAT on the switch. Most of the time, Towns have no clue how to stop whoever's in front of him. It causes the offensive player to try and bait him to commit a foul, which usually works.
Whenever Towns is seated on the bench, the Wolves rely heavily on Anthony Edwards for most of the scoring. It allows the Suns to fixate their attention on Edwards and not worry about a secondary scorer to cover defensively. Phoenix's Big 3 are skilled in drawing fouls, which they should use more when switched onto the Wolves star.