NBA 2K24 predicts who will win Suns-Timberwolves first-round series

Jeremy Vernon

NBA 2K24 predicts who will win Suns-Timberwolves first-round series image

After playing their way out of the NBA Play-In Tournament at the tail end of the regular season, the Phoenix Suns earned a playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in what is the first-ever postseason matchup between the two teams.

Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Co. were in contention for a No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but now they'll try to hold off Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and a red-hot Phoenix team.

Who will advance to the Western Conference semifinals? We simulated the series in NBA 2K24, and these were the results.

Game 1: Suns 126, Timberwolves 123 (PHX leads 1-0)

Game 1 of Suns-Timberwolves delivered on the playoff drama, with Phoenix holding off a furious Minnesota comeback in the second half to take the series lead.

Trailing by 11 entering the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves battled back to take a 116-115 lead after a basket by Naz Reid. Phoenix went back ahead 117-116 on a layup by Bradley Beal and held the lead for the rest of the game.

Kevin Durant (28) and Devin Booker (27) combined for 55 points on 20-of-30 shooting (66.7%), while Beal added 22 points, four rebounds and three assists. Over the course of the game, the Suns shot 51.7% from the field and 46.9% from 3-point range. 

The Timberwolves, meanwhile, were led by Edwards, who had 32 points, four rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Mike Conley (23) was the only other Minnesota player to score more than 20 points.

Towns and Rudy Gobert combined for 13 points and 19 rebounds. Towns fouled out of the game after only playing 25 minutes, while Gobert played 35 and went 2-for-5 from the field.

With a 1-0 lead, the Suns have an opportunity to win Game 2 and head back to Phoenix only needing to win two of their next five games.

Screenshot captured on Xbox Series X
Screenshot captured on Xbox Series X

Game 2: Suns 131, Timberwolves 128 (PHX leads 2-0)

The Suns look like they might pull off the first-round upset, especially after taking Game 2, 131-128, to go up 2-0 in their series over the Timberwolves.

Durant and Booker both had stellar nights for Phoenix, combining for 71 points this time around. KD knocked down 7-of-9 attempts from 3-point range, while Booker was 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. Beal also scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the Suns’ win.

The Timberwolves saw another solid scoring night from Edwards (36 points), but he was 0-for-8 from 3-point range. Towns totaled 22 points and six rebounds, while Conley had 17 points, 11 assists and zero turnovers.

Phoenix took the lead in the game for the final time with four minutes left on a Durant 3-pointer. As a team, the Suns shot 19-for-33 (57.8%) from beyond the arc. The win sets up an opportunity for the lower-seeded Suns to sweep Minnesota if they win Games 3 and 4 at home.

Screenshot captured on Xbox Series X
Screenshot captured on Xbox Series X

Game 3: Timberwolves 135, Suns 125 (PHX leads 2-1)

Minnesota avoided going down 0-3 by taking Game 3 on the road at Phoenix. The 10-point win was a team affair, as seven different Timberwolves scored at least 10 points.

Edwards led the way with 22 points and 10 rebounds, but Conley (21), Reid (21) and Towns (20) all had at least 20 points. It was the first time in Towns’ career that he had at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a playoff game.

Beal was Phoenix’s top scorer with 32 points, as Booker and Durant combined to score just 48 points. Durant shot under 50% from the field and had three turnovers, and Eric Gordon was 2-for-10 from the field in 20 minutes (six points).

The Timberwolves held a 50-23 advantage in bench points and led by as many as 15 in the win. As a team, Minnesota shot over 55% from the field and 50% from 3-point range. If they can carry the momentum into Game 4 and win another road meeting with the Suns, the Timberwolves will tie the series with two of the final three games coming in Minnesota.

Screenshot captured on Xbox Series X
Screenshot captured on Xbox Series X

Game 4: Suns 112, Timberwolves 105 (PHX leads 3-1)

Phoenix took command of the first-round series with a 112-105 win in Game 4. The Suns took the final lead of the game on a Jusuf Nurkic free throw with 4:35 left in the fourth quarter and never looked back.

Both teams had a horrific night shooting the ball, combining to make just 43.2% of their field goal attempts and 28.6% of their 3-point attempts. What made the difference in the end was a 33-18 advantage in made free throws for the Suns.

Booker led all scorers with 41 points and made 7-of-12 attempts from 3-point range. Durant only attempted six field goals, but he ended the game with 14 points to go with six rebounds and three assists. Durant, Booker and Beal combined to make 24-of-26 free throws.

Edwards was once again the top scorer for Minnesota, with 30 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Reid chipped in 23 points and seven rebounds, while Towns had 14 points, 13 rebounds and three assists. Gobert scored four points, finishing with fewer than 10 points for the second time in the four games.

Phoenix now has a two-game lead in the series heading into Game 5 in Minnesota. The Timberwolves will have to win each of the next three games in the series to move on to the Western Conference semis.

Screenshot captured on Xbox Series X
Screenshot captured on Xbox Series X

Game 5: Timberwolves 132, Phoenix 108 (PHX leads 3-2)

The Timberwolves staved off elimination by winning Game 5 in blowout fashion over the Suns. Minnesota led by five points at halftime, but outscored Phoenix by a margin of 19 points in the second half.

It was Edwards’ turn to go over 40 this time, as he totaled 41 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to lead the Timberwolves to the win. Towns had 25 points and six rebounds, while Gobert had his best game of the series with 15 points and 10 rebounds. 

Despite the win, Minnesota saw Reid check out of the game early with an ankle injury. Reid is considered day-to-day and his status for Game 6 is uncertain.

Beal had 31 points to lead Phoenix, while Durant (27) and Booker (25) combined for 52 points. No other player on the Suns had more than seven points in the loss, and Phoenix shot 32-of-77 (41.6%) from the field as a team.

Minnesota held a 44-20 advantage in points in the paint and forced Phoenix into 26 turnovers in the win. The Timberwolves head to Game 6 with a chance to even the series at three games apiece.

Screenshot captured on Xbox Series X
Screenshot captured on Xbox Series X

Game 6: Timberwolves 140, Suns 138 OT (Series tied 3-3)

It looked like it might all be over for Minnesota as they trailed by nine points at the end of the third quarter of Game 6, but they rallied to force overtime and eventually came out of the game with a two-point win over the Suns to tie the first-round series at 3-3.

Phoenix held a 116-111 lead with three minutes remaining, but Minnesota battled back to eventually take a 118-116 lead with 56.1 seconds remaining on a jumper by Edwards. After the two teams traded baskets, the Suns ultimately tied the game for the final time in regulation with seven seconds left on a dunk by Grayson Allen.

Minnesota shot out to an early lead in the overtime period and never gave it back to Phoenix. 

Edwards led all scorers with 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting, while Towns and Gobert both had 20-10 games. Gobert and Nickeil Alexander-Walker combined for seven blocks.

Booker was Phoenix’s top scorer with 35 points to go with eight assists. Durant had 25 points and 13 rebounds, while Beal had 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Allen went down with a hyperextended left knee late in the game, and his status for Game 7 is now up in the air.

The Timberwolves had a 20-8 edge over the Suns in fastbreak points and a 56-42 advantage in points in the paint. Now, Minnesota returns home for Game 7 with the winner advancing to the Western Conference semifinals.

Screenshot captured on Xbox Series X
Screenshot captured on Xbox Series X

Game 7: Suns 124, Timberwolves 113 (PHX wins 4-3)

The Suns nearly blew a 3-1 lead in this first-round series, but they rallied to take Game 7 over Minnesota, 124-113.

Booker saved his best game for last, totaling 43 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists while making 7-of-11 shots from 3-point range. Beal had 23 points and Durant had 21, but no other Phoenix player had more than 10 points.

Edwards was Minnesota’s top scorer for the seventh and final time, totaling 26 points to go with seven rebounds and three assists. Towns went for 19-7-5, but he was 6-of-16 from the field and 2-of-7 from 3-point range. Gobert struggled offensively again, with just nine points and 12 rebounds in 29 minutes.

Booker led all players with 32.9 points per game over the course of the series, while Durant (25.0) and Beal (25.7) both played well, too. On the other side, Edwards averaged 31.9 points and was the only Minnesota player to average more than 20 points per game in the series.

This was the first-ever meeting between Phoenix and Minnesota in the playoffs. The Suns have now made it to the Western Conference semis in four straight seasons. They will play the winner of Nuggets-Lakers, a series we also simulated using NBA 2K24.

Screenshot captured on Xbox Series X
Screenshot captured on Xbox Series X

Jeremy Vernon

Jeremy Vernon Photo

Jeremy Vernon is a reporter and editor from Greensboro, North Carolina, with a decade of experience in the industry. His previous stops include MLB.com and two local papers in N.C. — the Monroe Enquirer-Journal and the Chatham News + Record. When he isn’t working, you can likely find Jeremy at the dog park with his two-year old lab mix, Summer.