Karl-Anthony Towns was in foul trouble, but Timberwolves didn't flinch

MINNEAPOLIS — Timberwolves All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns didn't play the entire second quarter of Tuesday's Game 2 playoff series against Phoenix because of second-quarter foul trouble.

"I was pretty motivated," he said after a 105-92 victory at Target Center. "Pretty motivated."

He followed that second quarter idled by three first-half fouls with a third quarter in which he played nearly 10 minutes. He also scored eight points, grabbed four rebounds and went 2 for 4 from the field, and 1 for 3 on 3s.

It all came in a third quarter when the Wolves outscored the Suns 28-20 to put some distance between the two teams after the Wolves led 51-50 at halftime.

"Super proud of KAT,' Wolves coach Chris Finch said. "Staying locked in after foul trouble and then having a big third for us, offensively, defensively and on the glass. He kept making the right play. He didn't shoot the ball great, but I still thought he did the right things to unlock a lot of good shots."

Said Towns: "This is the time to win. I'm just doing whatever it takes to win the game. Some days, it may be 30. Some days it may be I have to play defense at a high, high level that people don't expect from me all the time.

"I've shown spurts of that all year, and now I have to show it on the biggest stage of the year."

Looking at the long run

Now in his ninth NBA season, Phoenix star guard Devin Booker has been in enough playoff series to know this: Don't overreact, especially after one game.

Last season, the Suns lost their first-round playoff opener at home to the Los Angeles Clippers 115-110, then won the next four games. A year later, the Suns lost Game 1 of their first-round playoffs series, 120-95, to the Timberwolves at Target Center.

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