It isn't looking good for the Phoenix Suns at the moment. Down 3-0 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Suns are fresh off a Game 3 loss at home on Friday.

The game's third quarter was the turning point of the night. It was initially a tightly contested clash, with the Timberwolves holding a six-point lead at the half. Once the final 24 minutes ensued, the onslaught began.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker hit all four of his three-pointers to spearhead a run that would result in the Suns trailing by 22 to enter the fourth. Minnesota outscored Phoenix 36-20 in the third quarter alone, much to the misery of the entire Footprint Center.

It was smooth sailing for the Timberwolves from then on, as Phoenix had no answer for the rest of the night. If the Suns are hoping to steal games in the coming days, then they'll have to address the flaws that held them back on Friday.

The Suns have to start strong

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) react while Minnesota Timberwolves celebrate during the second half of game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

To start the game, Phoenix was getting good looks. However, the shots weren't falling. The team already had the advantage in free throws, attempting 15 in the first quarter alone (Minnesota had just 4). Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to make up for their 36.8% field goal percentage in the said quarter. As the first 12 minutes concluded, the Suns still trailed by two.

Going against a taller, much more physical team like the Timberwolves, the Suns will need to capitalize on every opportunity. While they did finish the game shooting 46.1%, they definitely need to be more efficient from the get-go.

Rebounding troubles

And speaking of size, there really isn't much of a solution to this. With Rudy Gobert (7'3), Karl-Anthony Towns (7'0) and Jaden McDaniels (6'9) as the Timberwolves' starting frontcourt, it's a no brainer that grabbing rebounds will be difficult for opponents. Such was the case on Friday, when the Suns were outrebounded 50-28. Phoenix gave up 15 offensive boards around their basket, and it's no surprise why.

Jusuf Nurkic is the only true big man in the team's starting unit. With Kevin Durant and Royce O'Neale as the forwards, the rebounding was bound to be a one-sided affair from the start.

The Timberwolves also imposed their inside presence by amassing a total of 56 points in the paint, to go with 19 second-chance points.

Royce O'Neale and Jusuf Nurkic need to help on offense

The Suns' Big 3 all finished in double figures. Bradley Beal scored 28 points, Kevin Durant had 25 while Devin Booker added 23. Furthermore, Eric Gordon and Drew Eubanks made contributions off the bench. However, the team's two other starters, O'Neale and Jusuf Nurkic, combined for just 1-of-9 shooting from the floor.

O'Neale, in particular, was tasked to fill in for injured sharpshooter Grayson Allen. It didn't pan out as Frank Vogel expected, with the forward going scoreless in over 24 minutes of action.

As for Nurkic, it's understandable that getting baskets over Gobert and Towns isn't easy. Nevertheless, the big man did score nine and 10 points during Games 1 and 2, respectively. In a playoff series such as this, every basket counts, so Nurkic definitely needs to be as efficient as possible in the coming days.

With their season in the balance, it remains to be seen if the Suns will somehow respond to the adversity. It's been an up-and-down campaign, and the team's struggles have carried over to the postseason. The best they can do now is to focus on staying afloat — one game at a time.