Karl-Anthony Towns believes the test of Phoenix in Round 1 is best for the Timberwolves. Here’s why

The scenario that played out Sunday looks to be a doomsday scenario of sorts for Minnesota. The Timberwolves fell to the No. 3 seed. They will not have home-court advantage if they meet Denver in the second round. And that “if” is suddenly looking like a questionable proposition.

Because Minnesota’s first-round opponent is a team in Phoenix that just swept Minnesota in three regular-season meetings, and none of the contests were particularly competitive. Given the three results this season — the Wolves weren’t within single digits of Phoenix in the second half of any of the three losses — you could make a strong argument that the Suns are the worst matchup for Minnesota.

In that way, Karl-Anthony Towns thinks they’re the best matchup.

“There’s no better team to be playing in the first round than a team that we struggled with all year,” Towns said.

What Towns means by that is Minnesota will be tested at the highest level right out of the postseason gates. The Wolves will get punched in the mouth. How can they respond? How can they evolve and grow?

“If there’s one thing these three games have shown, they’ve won decisively. We have to show our mettle, and we have to show our mental toughness come Game 1. Throw those three games out the window, utilize those games as learning experiences and find ways that we can utilize those games to finally put one on the left column against the Suns this year,” Towns said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to show what we’re made of and to show the NBA and the fans the team we say we can be. It’s going to be a great Game 1 (Saturday at Target Center). I’m excited. I’m happy to have this opportunity to show that championship pedigree that we’re saying that we have and that we’ve garnered through the year.”

Minnesota won a lot of games — 55, to be exact — this season. That’s the second-highest tally in franchise history. The reward is home-court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. Minnesota sold out all 41 games at Target Center this season. The home crowd has, indeed, been an advantage, though it wasn’t close to enough Sunday.

“Everything is in front of us. We’ve asked for this position to be a home-court team with the advantage that we’ve been dying for,” Towns said. “We’ve got a team that has tested us the most this year. So we have everything set up for a really amazing series, and we have everything set up for us to prove our mettle and to prove if we’re that championship team we’ve been talking about since Day 1.”

Towns said he’s “really excited” that Minnesota has to take the difficult Round 1 matchup.

“It’s only right. It’s going to make us better. It’s going to test our mental fortitude, and it’s going to test our discipline,” he said. “Those are going to be things that, if we get past Round 1, we’re going to need those types of things if we expect to be a championship team. So there’s no better place to put it to the test at the highest level than in Series 1.”

Phoenix guard Brad Beal and Anthony Edwards were each assessed technical fouls after a minor scuffle at mid-court in the second quarter on Sunday in which Beal and Wolves coach Chris Finch appeared to exchange words.

“He was barking at our bench,” Finch said.

That’s now how Beal took it.

“Coach Finch jumped in and he said some things out of his mouth that I didn’t really respect. Man to man, I rebuttal-ed back,” Beal said. “And Ant stepped in front of his coach, not really knowing what was going on. But respectfully you do that for your coach, so I’m not mad at him. We’re all good. It’s all good. No hard feelings.”