More often than not, the team that won more regular-season games than their opponent comes out on top in a seven-game playoff series. But sometimes, NBA basketball can be like boxing, where styles make fights. That's what the Phoenix Suns will be leaning on in their first-round playoff matchup with the 3-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.

There are several keys to this series, including whether the Suns can keep up their suffocating defense against Anthony Edwards with a tight shell. But perhaps even more important is how Phoenix capitalizes on the mismatches its starting lineup creates, with four shooters and a center facing the Wolves' dual-big frontcourt of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony To...