WCQ Game 2: Phoenix at Minnesota, 6:30 pm Tuesday (Wolves lead 1-0)

[Nick K]

I just saw we had 31 pts off turnovers to their 2 pts off turnovers. That just doesn't seem possible.

[winforlose]

I just saw we had 31 pts off turnovers to their 2 pts off turnovers. That just doesn't seem possible.

Offense wins games, DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!!!!

[shrink]

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[Loaf_of_bread]

NAW just may turn into something.

[TimberKat]

Well done puppies… put your foot on their neck down in the dessert.

Your guys look better and better, the farther DLo gets in the rear view mirror. Kinda sad that Denver is in the same half of the bracket; that would have been an awesome WCF.

Who is Dlo?

That guy who forgot to enter the game against the Suns last year.

[karch34]

Probably best post season win just from fact our big dogs didn’t play great and we came back after every Phoenix haymaker. Still Suns are damn good. As was said we only held serve. Love what I saw but not getting over the skis on this one.

[BlacJacMac]

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[winforlose]

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?s=12

This is pure poetry.

[winforlose]

Probably best post season win just from fact our big dogs didn’t play great and we came back after every Phoenix haymaker. Still Suns are damn good. As was said we only held serve. Love what I saw but not getting over the skis on this one.

That Jaden, Mike, and Rudy got us over the hump is why you should be over the skis on this one. It is testament to our teams depth and skill.

[Loaf_of_bread]

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Lmfao, this sort of shenanigans is why ant's character is just different.

It gets redundant hearing "he's special", but there is something there..

Would be interesting to get some intel in regards to finch.. we have displayed a different vibe last 2 games. If Finch can figure out how to best lead each personality of this team, the depth and talent level is there..

[karch34]

Probably best post season win just from fact our big dogs didn’t play great and we came back after every Phoenix haymaker. Still Suns are damn good. As was said we only held serve. Love what I saw but not getting over the skis on this one.

That Jaden, Mike, and Rudy got us over the hump is why you should be over the skis on this one. It is testament to our teams depth and skill.

Lol. I do think last year‘s playoffs against Denver would’ve been a lot closer with Jaden and Naz. I also agree that the veteran presence of Mike and Rudy is huge. That said they still have KD are heading home for two. Optimistic but we had Sonics down 2-1 in a best of five with 4 at home and Flip’s most inspired coaching performance happening so cautiously optimistic.

[Nick K]

Probably best post season win just from fact our big dogs didn’t play great and we came back after every Phoenix haymaker. Still Suns are damn good. As was said we only held serve. Love what I saw but not getting over the skis on this one.

That Jaden, Mike, and Rudy got us over the hump is why you should be over the skis on this one. It is testament to our teams depth and skill.

Lol. I do think last year‘s playoffs against Denver would’ve been a lot closer with Jaden and Naz. I also agree that the veteran presence of Mike and Rudy is huge. That said they still have KD are heading home for two. Optimistic but we had Sonics down 2-1 in a best of five with 4 at home and Flip’s most inspired coaching performance happening so cautiously optimistic.

The big thing is last year we had the totally wrong scheme with Rudy and the style of offense we used. Trying to turn Rudy into a p/r offensive star when he can't catch the ball was comical. To the coaches credit they made wholesale changes last summer and set the team on a totally new course. We are a completely different team this year. Hats off staff.

[winforlose]

That Jaden, Mike, and Rudy got us over the hump is why you should be over the skis on this one. It is testament to our teams depth and skill.

Lol. I do think last year‘s playoffs against Denver would’ve been a lot closer with Jaden and Naz. I also agree that the veteran presence of Mike and Rudy is huge. That said they still have KD are heading home for two. Optimistic but we had Sonics down 2-1 in a best of five with 4 at home and Flip’s most inspired coaching performance happening so cautiously optimistic.

The big thing is last year we had the totally wrong scheme with Rudy and the style of offense we used. Trying to turn Rudy into a p/r offensive star when he can't catch the ball was comical. To the coaches credit they made wholesale changes last summer and set the team on a totally new course. We are a completely different team this year. Hats off staff.

We are soo much healthier this year. We also had a full year of Mike and NAW and all the chemistry this team has put together.

[Klomp]

Remember ya'll, a similar Suns team last year took Denver to 6 games. Just saying.

Not really that similar, actually.
Booker. Durant. That's it. Unless you want to count Okogie starting 5 games, since he's technically still on the roster. Heck, TJ Warren averaged 19 mpg in that series...and the coach isn't even the same.

[BlacJacMac]

Crazy thing is the only constant between the two blowouts was our defense.

After crushing them in bench scoring and rebounding in game 1, we lost both those battles tonight.

[minimus]

A team that has a true PG will win this series.

[winforlose]

A team that has a true PG will win this series.

I have always said the most important positions are the 1 and the 5. Well Mike and Rudy just proved me right.

[winforlose]

Guys, Ant scored 15, Karl scored 12 and Naz scored 5. They shot a combined 7 of 24 for 32 points. Jaden scored 2 less points than Ant and KAT combined… and we won by double digits. This was the kinda game that belongs in the history books. Beal, Booker, and KD were supposed to be unstoppable when playing together, they cannot even score 100 against us. Frankly, it took almost the whole game to crack 90. Worse, they could only do it against the end of bench Wolves. You are watching something truly special.

[younggunsmn]

Arooo another great win!
Great intensity and defense as well as great composure.
Playoff wolves are another level.
I don't ever think I've seen a Wolves team THIS confident before. Ever.

Playoff Jaden, WOW. The defense was unreal. But the intensity, the motor, the only 3 fouls in 41 minutes.
5 offensive rebounds. Attacking the basket under control. Making smart passes.
Best game I have ever seen from him. Confidence is through the roof.
I think we may have found a little something there with his ability to attack from the weak side off the catch from the swing pass.
Going to need things like that in our arsenal when teams load up on Ant.

Defense was amazing once again. Mike/Jaden/NAW/Ant had their big 3 frustrated all game and working way too hard for their offense.
We suckered them into going one on one over and over instead of moving the ball.
Rudy was a beast and kept all 3 away from any easy buckets all while keeping Nurkic in check.
That week off has done wonders for his free throw shooting.
Rudy being able to catch and handle and pass the ball on offense with confidence has been such a key to opening things up for us.
Those were things he really really struggled with all last year.
He deserves a ton of credit for improving that part of his game so much this far into his career, and so do the coaches.

Ant had a poor shooting night, but he was moving the ball really well, getting off it early when the double came, and playing good team basketball. He was also a menace on the defensive end.

NAW with 31 big minutes off the bench, a +14. Really smart play from him, and Finch went with him in the 4th quarter in place of KAT once we went up double digits in the 4th quarter to finish the game.
Him and Jaden playing well and staying out of foul trouble are key to us being able to match and play small against teams like the Suns.

Mike was amazing in the first half and kept the boat afloat when they went on their referee-assisted run in the 2nd quarter.
And he broke the game open with some cold blooded shot making and hustle in the early 4th.

KAT was pretty awful and out of control again. He has a harder time being physical without fouling than anyone else on the team.
Didn't get the good looks he had in game one, and it's such a testament to the depth of talent on this team that we can have the game put away and have garbage time commence with 2 minutes left when we get such a stinker from KAT.

Naz wasn't great either but I expect him to bounce back.

The guys were so locked in it didn't seem like FInch had to do much coaching at all in the first two games, the guys were so prepared and executing the game plan so well. This is something you tend to see more from teams that are used to winning.
Much credit to the coaching staff for having the team so prepared, motivated, and playing with such composure.
Maybe there is something to not having to play in the play-in games and having a week to practice and prepare.

Let's keep it up and keep going!

Wolves in 4? Why stop there?
16-0! 16-0!

I expect there will be at least one game in the series where the Suns are shooting out of their minds.
But if we keep up this level of intensity, composure, and defense, I don't think there is a pathway for Phoenix to beat us in this series.

We made Phoenix look really really old in the first 2 games.
If we can keep the energy and intensity battle to our advantage and pointed in the right direction, I don't know that there is any stopping us in this series, especially if Allen can't come back.

[SunsRback4Good]