PHOENIX — Anthony Edwards hit a jumper late in the fourth quarter and growled as he ran down the court, pounding his chest with his fist for emphasis as Minnesota pulled away for another dominant playoff victory.
The Timberwolves are the undeniable alpha dogs through three games of this increasingly lopsided series.
Edwards scored 36 points, Rudy Gobert added 19 points and 14 rebounds and the Timberwolves used a strong third quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 126-109 on Friday night and take a 3-0 lead in the first-round matchup.
“We’re just embracing the moment,” Gobert said. “We only have one goal in mind and we’re trying to make sure we don’t get distracted by the success or the ups and downs. We’re just locked in.
Minnesota goes for a sweep in Game 4 on Sunday in Phoenix.
The Wolves never lost on Friday.
“This is a team you have to dictate terms with,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “You don’t want to get behind them because of the way they can shoot the ball. That’s been part of our message, part of our emphasis, we’ve got to get off to a good start.”
It was the third game in a row that Wolves used a great third to turn a tight game into a comfortable victory. Minnesota hit 7 of 11 3-pointers during the surge, including four by Nickeil Alexander-Walker, to take a 22-point lead into fourth place.
Bradley Beal led the Suns with 28 points, while Kevin Durant had 25 and Devin Booker 23. The rest of the team scored just 33 points.
The 7-foot-10 Gobert said he noticed the Suns were hesitant to drive the lane when he was there.
“This is what I do best,” Gobert said. “I try to be present, give confidence to my teammates, ensuring that I am by their side. I’m trying to get some blocks, but they don’t really tempt me. So at the end of the day, this is better than any lockdown.”
Minnesota had a six-point lead at halftime and extended its lead to 69-58 early in the third after consecutive 3-pointers from Mike Conley and Karl-Anthony Towns. Late in the third, Alexander-Walker hit his fourth 3-pointer of the quarter for a 95-73 lead.
The Wolves also dominated the glass, finishing with a 50-28 advantage in rebounds. Edwards shot 12 of 23 from the field and made all 11 free throws, adding nine rebounds and five assists.
“We were killed on the boards. This is a bigger, stronger team,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “We have to compete and win the 50-50 balls. I thought our guys tried hard, but it wasn’t enough.”
Six Minnesota players scored in double figures. Towns finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Alexander-Walker scored 16.
The listless Suns were never able to cut the deficit to single digits in the quarter. Now they are one defeat away from what would be a bitterly disappointing season after entering the year with championship aspirations. At the end of the third quarter, there were scattered boos from the home crowd.
Booker said he couldn’t blame them.
“We put ourselves in a hole and we need to get out of it,” Booker said. “Then that’s it.”
Phoenix’s Josh Okogie, who had eight points, was ejected late in the fourth after a hard foul on Gobert.
The Timberwolves led 59-53 at halftime after a competitive first half. Edwards led the Wolves with 16 points, while Durant had 14 for the Suns. Eric Gordon gave Phoenix a spark with 10 points in the first quarter, but it was short-lived.
The Suns played without starting point guard Grayson Allen, who led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage this season. Allen is dealing with a sprained ankle in Game 1 that worsened in Game 2.
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