Game Preview: Phoenix Suns (23-18) host Minnesota Timberwolves (6-31) to kick off second half schedule

The Phoenix Suns kick off the second half of their season with a couple of winnable home games before hosting some of the NBA's best teams for the rest of the month.

Tonight's game against the Timberwolves and Monday's game hosting the Los Angeles Lakers (on TNT) will be two of the easiest second half games on the Suns' slate, which features 21 of their last 41 against the West's nine best teams not named the Suns. Fortunately, 13 of those games are at home.

But I digress. The playoffs won't happen unless the Suns take care of business at home against some of the league's worst teams. The Wolves and Lakers are fighting harder for the top pick in the NBA Draft than they are for a playoff spot, but both teams are dangerous on any given night.

Let's start with the young Wolves.

Game coverage

• What: Phoenix Suns vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
• When: 7:00PM AZ Time
• Where: US Airways Center, Phoenix AZ
• TV: FoxSports Arizona
• Radio: 98.7 ArizonaSports.com

The Wolves

Just last week, the Suns barely squeaked out a road win over the Wolves when Andrew Wiggins broke ranks from Blake Griffin and Khris Middleton by missing the game-winning three point attempt. The ball bounced straight up off the rim, just like the others, but somehow didn't magically drop through the hoop as time expired.

The game was otherwise marked by the Marcus Morris blowup with Jeff Hornacek, who reportedly was giving it back to Marcus just as good as he was getting it according to Paul Coro, the azcentral.com reporter who travels with the team.

The other notable note on the Wolves is that Mo Williams dropped 52 points and 7 assists on the Pacers the other night. fifty. two. points. The same Mo put up 23 and 11 on the Suns in that game a week ago.

Watch out for Mo.

The Suns

Check out my Suns update in the Second Half Primer.

And read about the Suns' thoughts on the second half via ArizonaSports.com's Graig Grialou.

How they compare

Probable Lineups

Out on a limb

My guess is that the Suns have learned their lesson and will put the Wolves away pretty handily, though it might get so out of hand that the Suns let up and allow the Wolves to get within 10 in the final quarter.

Prediction

Suns by 15.