Bradley Beal scored 36 points on 14-of-21 shooting, with a flawless 6-for-6 display from beyond the perimeter, as the Phoenix Suns defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 125-106 victory on a Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.

Devin Booker contributed 23 points and seven assists for Phoenix (49-33), propelling them past New Orleans to claim the sixth position in the Western Conference.

The Suns’ quest for a top-six seed demanded a win over the Timberwolves and a loss by the Pelicans against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Rudy Gobert led Minnesota (56-26) with 21 points and seven rebounds. Despite starting the game in a deadlock for the top spot in the Western Conference, the Timberwolves slipped to the third seed following their defeat, as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets secured the top two positions.

The Suns soared on the final day while the Timberwolves plummeted in the rankings, setting the stage for an encounter between the two teams in the opening round of the playoffs.

Phoenix exhibited impressive shooting percentages, hitting 54.7% (47 of 86) from the field and 55.2% (16 of 29) from beyond the arc, whereas Minnesota connected on 51.4% (36 of 70) overall and 34.6% (9 of 26) from deep.

Launching into the game eagerly from the beginning, the Suns surged to a commanding 44-22 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter and maintained a 66-53 edge at halftime.

Beal spearheaded Phoenix’s charge, with Kevin Durant playing a more supportive role. Beal’s sharpshooting contributed to a 20-11 lead for the Suns less than five minutes into the game.

Adding another 3-pointer to extend the Suns’ advantage to 38-22 with 1:30 remaining in the first quarter, Beal ignited a 9-0 spurt that included baskets from distance by Booker and Beal to wrap up the period.

Despite Minnesota’s efforts to narrow the gap, cutting it to 89-78 by the end of the third quarter, Phoenix dominated the final quarter 36-28 to keep the Timberwolves at arm’s length.