Timberwolves, Cavaliers, Knicks roll to series-opening wins Saturday

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 playoffs on Saturday.

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

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 five-for-16 shooting and Bradley Beal added 15 points, but the Suns were outrebounded 52-28 and outscored 52-34 in the paint by Minnesota.

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

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 Timberwolves 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. Grayson Allen, the league’s leading three-point shooter, missed all three of his shots and had just four points.

The Timberwolves 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 Timberwolves 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 sank a corner three-pointer before the third-quarter buzzer for a 20-point lead.

Wolves backup Kyle Anderson suffered a hip pointer in the second quarter and didn’t return.

Minnesota made 20 of 22 free throws, with Town perfect on his eight and Gobert making six of seven.

Knicks 111, 76ers 104

Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart each scored 22 points, Deuce McBride led a huge effort by New York’s reserves with 21 and New York beat a hobbled Joel Embiid and Philadelphia.

McBride outscored the 76ers by himself with 13 points in the second quarter, when Embiid had to leave after appearing to reinjure his surgically repaired left knee on a dunk. He returned and rallied the 76ers into the lead in the second half, but Hart made a couple big three-pointers in the fourth quarter to help the Knicks pull it out.

Hart also had 13 rebounds for the Knicks, who had lost Game 1 the last three times they opened a series at home. They host Game 2 on Monday.

Embiid finished with 29 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 33 points.

Cavaliers 97, Magic 83

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points and Jarrett Allen had 18 rebounds to lead host Cleveland to a victory in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Evan Mobley added 16 points for Cleveland, which got bullied and bounced in just five games by the New York Knicks in the 2023 postseason.

That experience scarred the Cavaliers, who entered these playoffs more confident, deeper — at least on paper — and relatively healthy after a regular season filled with injuries.

Mitchell has been slowed for two months because a left knee bone bruise, but the All-Star guard moved well and looked much more like himself as Cleveland’s only viable offensive threat for more than two quarters.

Orlando’s Paolo Banchero scored 24 points in his playoff debut, but had nine turnovers. The Magic shot just 33% from the field — some of it attributed to bad shooting, some of it because of Cleveland’s defense.