The Game 1 loss that the Phoenix Suns suffered at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves was a wake-up call for the team. The Wolves dominated in their first game, which surprised the Suns. Anthony Edwards took on the challenge and went toe-to-toe against Kevin Durant, as he finished with 33 points.
Durant tried his best to make the game a tough competition in their first game and finished with 31 points. But the Wolves were too much for the Suns since they controlled the game from the get-go. Even defensive specialist Rudy Gobert, who many predicted to be a liability, had a decent game with 14 points and 16 rebounds.
The Suns' underwhelming performance in Game 1 should be enough to motivate them to play better. The players should seize the moment to even the series in Game 2.
In Game 1, many players not named Durant underperformed. Even the stars, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, were ineffective in the first game of their first-round series. Having full participation from their roster could change the series and give the Suns a chance to win. With that, here are three players who should show up in Game 2.
3. Jusuf Nurkic
The frontcourt battle between Jusuf Nurkic and Gobert will be an interesting contest. The two have contrasting games but can dominate on the boards. In Game 1, Nurkic wasn't actively controlling the glass, which is what he did in the regular season. He only had four rebounds, as he only had 27 minutes of action.
Nurkic didn't perform well in preventing Gobert from grabbing rebounds. Offensively, he wasn't as aggressive, as he ended the game with nine points.
As the quote from the anime--Slam Dunk goes, "The one who controls the rebound controls the game." The Suns need his production, especially in the rebounding department. Nurkic's dominance on the boards has helped them win significant games in the regular season. But so far, Gobert has outplayed him, which should change in Game 2.