Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic responded to notorious NBA insider Bill Simmons after Simmons sent a tweet implying the Suns would blow a 20-point lead to the Wolves because of a scuffle between Bradley Beal and Anthony Edwards.
"Oh no… the Suns went up big early and talked s--- to Ant… STORY DEVELOPING."
Nurkic had a simple message after the game, as Phoenix walked out with a 125-106 win and the No. 6 seed in the West.
"Developing your a--."
Nurkic didn't have an explosive box score night but ended with six points, five rebounds, eight assists, and five steals in the win. His measured and veteran presence at center has helped the Suns a ton this season, though his inherent limitations with his movement have left the team vulnerable in certain areas.
The Bosnian center has been very active on social media this season, always sharing his true thoughts on situations developing around the league. His comments against Draymond Green at different junctures this season have been explosive, while he even criticized the Suns and Kevin Durant after the Bradley Beal trade before ending up on the roster himself.
Nurkic is averaging 10.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists this season. He has a massive playoff series ahead of him, as Nurkic will be responsible for limiting Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert's impact on both ends of the court.
Phoenix Suns Aiming For A Championship
After a recent 108-107 win over the Sacramento Kings, Suns' guard Bradley Beal made it clear to the world that the team is entering the playoff zone, with their only goal being winning a championship this season.
"Playoff zone, man. It's time. It's time. It's time to start playing defense. It's time to execute and take care of the ball offense. It's time, man. We want to win the ring. It's time. It's time. I'm hyped. I'm hyped as hell. I'm ready to go."
The Suns went all-in over the summer when they acquired the likes of Beal, Nurkic, and Grayson Allen. Adding them to a core of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant gave them the top-end firepower they needed to be playoff threats while lacking the depth to make them a competitive regular-season team.
Despite the season-long issues, the Suns managed to secure a top-six seed to escape the play-in. Their first-round opponents are the team they just beat, with the Timberwolves and Suns getting ready for a heated seven-game series. But the goal for a team with no future assets isn't a second-round appearance, so Phoenix will hope that they can make a title run now.
The Wolves have the tools they need to stop Phoenix, but the mercurial offensive ability of the Suns' big three makes it impossible to count them out. This might be the most intriguing playoff matchup so far, and we're not even in the first round yet.
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