After an exhilarating 128–126 Sport 4 loss to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, the Minnesota Timberwolves are going through elimination within the Western Convention Finals. However regardless of being on the dropping finish, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch confirmed professionalism and sportsmanship when addressing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s impression — significantly his capacity to get to the road.
Gilgeous-Alexander was spectacular, ending with 40 factors, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds. An enormous portion of his scoring got here from the charity stripe, the place he hit 12 of his 14 free-throw makes an attempt. Whereas many coaches may level fingers at officiating, Finch checked out it from a distinct perspective.
Finch addressed the media postgame, and a clip of his response was posted by Andrew Dukowitz of Zone Protection on X, previously often called Twitter.
“Chris Finch on defending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
“13 for 30, clearly he went to 14 occasions which was to a lot however 13 for 30 was a reasonably good defensive effort” #WolvesBack”
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Finch’s postgame feedback stood out for what they lacked — no complaints, no finger-pointing, only a calm acknowledgment of the scenario. He didn’t credit score Shai Gilgeous-Alexander instantly, however not like many coaches in related spots, he prevented blaming officers or questioning the best way the sport was referred to as.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s knack for attending to the road performed a task, but it surely wasn’t the rationale the Thunder grabbed a 3–1 sequence lead. Jalen Williams poured in 34 factors with six threes, whereas Chet Holmgren chipped in 21. On the opposite aspect, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Donte DiVincenzo mixed for 44 factors, however their efforts got here up brief for Minnesota.
A part of the issue was the shortage of manufacturing from the Timberwolves’ stars. Anthony Edwards, who had carried Minnesota in earlier rounds, was held to only 16 factors and struggled to discover a rhythm offensively. Julius Randle, acquired within the Karl-Anthony Cities commerce, additionally did not make a major impression, scoring simply 5 factors on restricted touches.
With their prime scorers unable to match the Thunder’s firepower, Minnesota couldn’t shut the hole regardless of stable bench contributions.
Because the Timberwolves vs. Thunder sequence heads again to Oklahoma Metropolis for Sport 5, Minnesota will want extra than simply changes — they’ll want resilience. However Finch’s angle after the loss confirmed what the playoffs are about, competing exhausting and respecting greatness, even when it comes at your expense.