Phoenix Suns vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 28/04/2024, 02:44  by Joseph King | Modified on 28/04/2024 at 02:44 in NBA Predictions

Game four of the Western Conference playoffs first round sees the sixth seed Suns trying to avoid the sweep when they host the third seed Timberwolves. The Suns are faced with a monumental task as no team in NBA history has managed to come back from a 3-0 series deficit. Indeed, Phoenix needed the win in game three to stand any chance of turning this series around. Unfortunately for the Suns’ faithful, their team would fall to a 126-109 defeat. This means that Phoenix must now win the next four in a row to advance to a second round matchup against either the Nuggets or Lakers.

Phoenix simply couldn’t cope with Minnesota’s physicality in the recent defeat as they lost the rebounding battle 50-28. This has been a trend this series with the Timberwolves now having outrebounded the Suns by a total of 141-97 over the first three games. The result has been a huge advantage in second chance points as Minnesota has also grabbed 38 offensive rebounds so far compared to Phoenix’s 19. The Suns have now lost their last three games at the Footprint Center dating back to the regular season. Their last win in this arena coincidentally came against the Timberwolves in the beginning of April.

Minnesota has a 3-0 playoff series lead for the first time in franchise history and they’ll look to complete their first ever sweep on Sunday. The Timberwolves have been fantastic and are showing that they are legitimate contenders to emerge from the Western Conference. This stems from their elite defense, anchored by the soon-to-be-announced Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. The Twolves have held the Suns to an average of just 99.0 points per contest this series. They’ll have an opportunity to prove their mettle against the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the next round, who currently lead the Lakers 3-1.