Randle, Booker duel, but Minnesota’s 3rd-quarter burst seals it

Minnesota wins the possession game when the game tightens

Phoenix comes in and makes Minnesota work for every inch, but the Wolves never really lose their grip once the third quarter turns. The Suns get the better of the opening frame, using a 10-0 run early in the period — capped by R. O'Neale’s 25-foot three — to flip a 4-2 start into a 12-4 edge. Devin Booker is already settling into his rhythm, and by halftime the Suns have made this feel like a shot-making contest rather than a grind. Minnesota answers enough to keep it close, though, trailing just 63-64 at the break after a back-and-forth first 24 minutes that featured 14 lead changes by the end of the night.

The real separation comes after halftime, and it comes fast. Minnesota opens the third with force, then lands the kind of haymaker that changes the tone of a game without necessarily ending it. The key stretch is a 15-0 run in the third, starting at 87-86 and ending at 101-87, with K. Anderson’s driving layup punctuating the surge. That’s the turning point. Suddenly the Wolves are dictating pace, turning stops into clean offense and making Phoenix chase from behind. The Suns still have answers — Booker keeps hunting his spots, and they eventually get enough from their scorers to prevent a full blowout — but that third-quarter avalanche gives Minnesota a cushion Phoenix never fully threatens to erase.

Booker does what star scorers do when the game is slipping away: he keeps firing. He finishes with 34 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in 35 minutes, and his fourth quarter is a reminder that even in defeat, elite shot creation can force a defense to stay honest. D. Booker’s 12-foot pullup at 3:15 cuts the deficit to 13, and moments later he knifes in for a driving finger roll to get Phoenix within 11. But every time the Suns try to string together a response, Minnesota has the counterpunch. J. McDaniels’ steal at 4:46 in the fourth is a tone-setter on the defensive end, and A. Dosunmu’s running layup a minute later stretches the lead back to 16. That sequence makes it clear Phoenix is spending too much energy trying to dig out of the hole.

Minnesota’s win is built on more than one hot stretch, though. Julius Randle is the steady engine all night, pouring in 32 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists on 59% shooting. He gives the Wolves shot creation when possessions bog down, and his pressure inside helps keep Phoenix from fully loading up on the perimeter. Naz Reid adds another layer with 11 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks in just 18 minutes — a huge impact in a limited workload — while Rudy Gobert owns the glass with 19 rebounds and 4 blocks, even if his scoring stays modest at 9. That interior presence matters. Phoenix can score in bunches, but Minnesota’s size keeps the Suns from turning runouts into momentum swings of their own.

The Suns don’t fold, and that matters in a game that had 14 lead changes and a first half that was anything but one-sided. Bones Hyland’s 22 points and 5 assists give them a spark, and Oso Ighodaro’s 16-point, 10-rebound double-double is a strong showing from the front line. But the margin is decided by the Wolves’ ability to get a stop when the game starts to wobble. By the time J. McDaniels blocks a shot at 1:21 and J. Randle swipes a steal at 1:18, the final minute feels like formalities. Minnesota has already done the hard part — turned a tight, competitive game into one it controls.

For the Wolves, this is the kind of win that matters in the standings and in the room. They survive a tough, star-driven Suns push, lean on their size and defensive activity, and get a signature third-quarter run that can travel into bigger games. For Phoenix, the takeaway is simpler: Booker is getting buckets, but the margin for error remains too small when the defense can’t stop a decisive run. In a crowded Western race, Minnesota walks away with a valuable home win and a clearer identity — win the glass, win the paint, and let the stars close the door.