Kevin Durant hope Suns use fans' boos as 'fuel' down 3-0 to Wolves - ESPN

PHOENIX — The boos trickled down in the third quarter Friday night when the Minnesota Timberwolves began to pull away, just as they had in the first two games of the series. Soon, that trickle became a deluge, and by the end of the quarter, a steady stream of fans were pouring out of the Footprint Center.

And when Game 3 reached its final minutes, most of the sellout crowd had long ago departed into the desert might after their team's disastrous performance.

The Timberwolves' wire-to-wire 126-109 win placed the Phoenix Suns, a team that began the season with championship expectations, on the brink of being swept in the first round of the playoffs.

It also placed the Timberwolves one win away from winning their first playoff series since 2004.

The Suns fans' displeasure was palpable — and the team, whicjh trailed by as much as 24, certainly heard it.

«They expect so much out of us and they pay their hard-earned money, and they deserve to react how they want to react,» said Suns star forward Kevin Durant, who finished with 25 points. «It's on us as players to use it as fuel, and hopefully it ignites us for the next game.»

Game 4 is Sunday at Footprint Center.

«I've never been swept a day in my life,» said Suns guard Bradley Beal, who scored a team-high 28 points. «I'll be damned if that happens.»

No team has come back from a 3-0 deficit in NBA playoff history.

«They say nobody's ever done it before,» said Suns guard Devin Booker, who scored 23 points. «That's exciting.»

Added Suns head coach Frank Vogel: «There's no quit in our group. This group does not want the season to come to an end.»

The game unfolded in familiar fashion, with the Timberwolves taking control in the third quarter. In that frame, they made seven