Timberwolves take down Suns 120-95 in Game 1 behind 33 points from Anthony Edwards

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 18 of his 33 points in the third quarter and had nine rebounds to carry the Minnesota Timberwolves in a tone-setting 120-95 victory over the Phoenix Suns to start the first round of the NBA playoffs on Saturday.

Karl-Anthony Towns added 19 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting and Rudy Gobert locked down the lane with 14 points, 16 rebounds and constant shot-altering defense to lead the Wolves to their first Game 1 home win in the playoffs in 20 years.

The sixth-seeded Suns won all three regular-season matchups in which the third-seeded Wolves trailed by double digits for the entirety of the second halves.

“We just wanted to show we were the desperate team,” Edwards said.

Kevin Durant scored 31 points on 11-for-17 shooting to lead the Suns, whose disadvantages in depth and size were exploited. Devin Booker had 18 points on 5-for-16 shooting and Bradley Beal added 15 points, but the Suns were outrebounded 52-28 and outscored 52-34 in the paint by the Wolves.

Game 2 is in Minneapolis on Tuesday before the best-of-seven series shifts to Phoenix for Game 3.

“It’s going to be hard to beat these guys," said Edwards, who shot 14 for 24. "It’s just one game. They’re going to be ready to go the next time we play them.”

Edwards led a 19-4 run to close the third quarter, stretching his arms wide to connect with the crowd after a couple of his biggest shots down that stretch. He stared and barked at Durant, who could only grin at the 22-year-old's bravado.

With 3:37 left, Edwards put the bow on this performance by stealing the ball from Durant — after Gobert had poked it loose — and finishing with a slam on the other end.

His enthusiasm was contagious throughout the afternoon. After picking up his third foul late in the second quarter, Edwards was twirling a towel on the bench in tribute to the effort to take the lead into double digits for the first time in the game.

Durant, the 14-time All-Star with two championship rings who arrived in the desert a little over a year ago in the first move in the major overhaul of the roster, was in prime playoff form. Be it a fadeaway, a turnaround or a spot-up, the Wolves and their NBA -best defense had no answer when the 6-foot-10 Durant climbed into the air with his smooth jump shot.

But Booker, the anchor of the big three with Durant and Beal who's the only player left from the 2021 team that reached the NBA Finals, had nothing to match. He couldn't get layups to fall, let alone jumpers.

“They've got some great perimeter defenders on that team, so we can do a more creative job of getting him open,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said.

Grayson Allen, the league's leading 3-point shooter, missed all three of his shots and had just four points before leaving with a sprained ankle that puts his availability for Game 2 in question.

The Wolves had sellouts for every home game this season for the first time since they moved into Target Center 34 years ago. Their fans — as antsy for a postseason run as any in American pro sports — brought finals-level energy to the first round that the Wolves have not escaped since their only advancement 20 years ago, a crowd that included former (Adrian Peterson) and current (Justin Jefferson) Vikings stars.

The big-money players gave the Wolves what they needed, but one of their edges in this series ought to be a bench that backed it up with a 41-18 scoring advantage on the Suns' reserves.

Alexander-Walker was in the thick of the second quarter surge, highlighted by his interception of a stray pass by Allen in the lane to key a fast break layup near the final minute of the half. Alexander-Walker hit a corner 3-pointer right before the third-quarter buzzer for a 20-point lead.

“It’s a make-or-miss league,” Durant said. “You’ve got to knock down shots if you want to win.”

Minnesota went 20 for 22 from the free-throw line. Towns was 8 for 8, and Gobert went 6 for 7.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Shirts displayed on seats before Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards warms up before Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, right, works toward the basket as Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns defends during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) shoots over Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) and Rudy Gobert talk during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) shoots over Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots over Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kyle Anderson (1) during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrates toward Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) after making a 3-point shot during the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards celebrates after a dunk during the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The memory of being unable to help the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL playoffs last year still stings for Andrei Svechnikov. He has opened this postseason like a man savoring every moment of his return.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound forward who missed last year's postseason with a knee injury had a strong first-round series against the New York Islanders, a physical presence with size and speed in the Hurricanes' aggressive-forechecking style. Now, with the Hurricanes preparing to face the New York Rangers in the second round, the player known around the locker room as “Svech” is eager to keep things rolling.

“I just want to go there and enjoy it,” Svechnikov said. “Obviously I had a tough time missing playoffs. I’m sure I would’ve helped a little bit. I’m just going there and enjoying my game and trying to give it my best shot there.”

Svechnikov, the No. 2 draft pick in 2018, developed into a talented contributor during the Hurricanes' climb from a nine-year postseason drought to making six straight playoff trips. But roughly a month after playing in his first NHL All-Star Game, he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in March 2023 and missed Carolina's push for the Stanley Cup.

Ultimately, he could only help by cranking the “storm warning” siren announcing the Hurricanes' charge onto the ice in front of a roaring home crowd for the playoff opener. The Hurricanes missed him badly when they ran up against the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final, losing four in a row by a one-goal margin.

That highlighted a longtime desire of Carolina to have more high-end finishers and scoring depth, but the impact was just as much about missing the 24-year-old's physical, hard-skating style on a roster featuring speed and skill on the top lines. Beyond his scoring was his ability to win puck battles for a team that thrives on sustaining possession in the offensive zone.

“If you look at our team, he’s by far our best power forward,” president and general manager Don Waddell said. "He finishes his checks. He’s not afraid of anybody. He gives us some of that muscle up front that we missed last year.”

Svechnikov recovered from knee surgery in time to skate with the team to open training camp, and he made his season debut in the ninth game in late October. He finished with 19 goals and 33 assists in 59 regular-season games. He also showed some familiar flair with another of his lacrosse-style goals — scooping up the puck from behind the net and wrapping it around the pipes to jam it past the goalie — in a win at Boston in April.

Carolina's Sebastian Aho, who centers the top line and had Svechnikov on the wing for much of the Islanders series, pointed to value beyond goals and points for a player who is plus-8 through his first 45 career playoff games. Svechnikov's return is one of the reasons Carolina entered the playoffs as the favorite to win the Stanley Cup, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook,

“He's a beast out there,” Aho said.

Svechnikov scored his first goal of the postseason in the clinching Game 5 win. The Russian skated up the right side on the power play and attempted a pass to Aho near the crease, with the puck bouncing off the stick of Islanders defenseman Robert Bortuzzo as Bortuzzo reached forward and tried to stay with Aho — an example of how Svechnikov's play can push opponents into pressured and compromised positions.

“It just felt like every time he was on the ice, he was a force,” coach Rod Brind'Amour said afterward.

Svechnikov also had four assists against the Islanders, with his five points tied for second with Martin Necas and behind only Seth Jarvis (seven). Meanwhile, Svechnikov's average 18:07 ice time ranked fourth among the forwards behind only Aho (21:50), Jarvis (20:17) and Jake Guentzel (19:57). He also generally avoided taking bad penalties of late.

Svechnikov was eager to get started before the first puck drop, saying it felt like “like three years ago” since his last postseason game (it was only two, a Game 7 home loss to the Rangers in the 2022 second round ) and that he had “goosebumps” at the thought of returning.

Still, he also picked up a few observations while watching last year's run, namely about the value of patience and finding a way to “slow down a little bit” amid everyone frantically skating on adrenaline amid the playoff chaos.

Just don't expect too much of that.

“I don't really worry about (scoring),” Svechnikov said. “It's playoffs. I just go out there and try to have fun and obviously help the team to win the games. That's all I do.”

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Carolina Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov (37) celebrates his goal with Sebastian Aho (20) as New York Islanders' Cal Clutterbuck (15) skates by during the first period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov (37) controls the puck against the New York Islanders during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)