Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch is not holding back after his team's tough loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.
After the Thunder took control of the game in the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves fell to Oklahoma City 116-103 and defeated Minnesota 36-27 to seal the victory. But much of the talk after the game focused on a crucial foul late in the game by Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards.
Edwards was cleared to play earlier in the day and spent much of the afternoon guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, a series of events later proved costly as Edwards was called for a foul on Gilgeous-Alexander's 3-point attempt, extending Oklahoma City's lead from 13 to 16 points.
Finch was visibly frustrated by the decision and made his feelings clear after the game.
“The first one was probably a foul. Unfortunately, they called a little snap on the inbounds play. It happens every time,” Finch said. “I still think he doesn't get the respect he deserves defensively. If you watch their guard defense, they catch and control a lot as well, which is good. That's part of the game. And then, you call it — blowing the whistle right away to take him out of the game — that's tough for us.”
Despite the controversy, Finch also pointed to areas where his team could do better on defense, specifically when it comes to handling the ball movement of Oklahoma City center Isaiah Hartenstein, who recently returned to the lineup after recovering from a calf injury.
Hartenstein made his presence felt at the top of the court, orchestrating plays, setting screens and helping open space for Oklahoma City's offense. Finch admitted the Timberwolves struggled to deal with his impact.
“We were a little too far away from him,” Finch added. “Then, you know, we can't provide emergency help. Gotta fight through those screens. We know he's a playmaker. That's what he does. Think some of them are highly questionable whether legal or not, but it doesn't matter. Gotta fight to the end, and you've got to make them miss.”
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