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Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch centered his postgame remarks on composure after his team’s 116-105 loss in Game 1 on Saturday at Ball Arena.
“I mean, it’s a lot of composure issues and just kind of, you know, we got to make smarter, more solid plays,” Finch said. “You know, we got to be more composed.”
The Timberwolves erased a double-digit deficit and cut the game to two late, but key mistakes shifted momentum back to Denver.
“We had two turnovers right in the middle of one run back,” Finch said. “You know, then we get the away from the play foul and then it just, you know, wasn’t very smart.”
Finch emphasized situational awareness, especially late in games where possessions carry more weight.
“Down seven… what’s left like 3 minutes or something like that and then we foul up the floor,” Finch said. “Plays like that really hurt you in playoffs and especially against an experienced team.”
Despite Minnesota’s playoff experience, Finch acknowledged disappointment in execution under pressure.
“Yeah, for sure,” Finch said. “We talked about being able to ride the waves of adversity… gave ourselves a chance… and then within that period of time a bunch of the plays that we just talked about.”
Offensive stagnation in the third quarter proved costly as Denver created separation.
“Ball didn’t move,” Finch said. “Played a lot of shell offense… a lot of guys stuck on the perimeter. Not punching any gaps, no movement.”
The lack of ball movement also led to transition opportunities for Denver, a key swing factor.
“It really cost us because it kind of led to a lot of easy baskets for them,” Finch said.
Finch noted the contrast with earlier stretches where Minnesota generated quality looks.
“I thought we had really good movement, ball movement in the first half,” Finch said. “And just kind of dried up.”
Anthony Edwards finished with 22 points and seven assists, though Finch described his performance as expected given recent circumstances.
“It looked like a… rusty game,” Finch said. “It wasn’t the Ant we’re used to seeing, but it was pretty much as expected.”
The head coach pointed to pace and flow as priorities entering Game 2.
“We’ve always been a better team when we play fast,” Finch said. “We got to do a better job of staying with the flow.”
Rudy Gobert’s two-way performance stood out, particularly against Nikola Jokic.
“Rudy was awesome tonight in all facets,” Finch said. “He was really good defensively, offensively, caught, finished well… I thought he played an outstanding game.”
Finch also questioned the free-throw disparity, especially Jamal Murray’s 16 attempts.
“16 free throws is a lot,” Finch said. “It’s almost as many as we shot all game.”
He added: “He initiates the contact… and then he gets rewarded for it. Jokic does the same thing.”
Looking ahead, Finch stressed discipline against an opponent built for playoff execution.
“They’ve been a really good third quarter team… best third quarter team in the league all year,” Finch said.
Game 2 is scheduled for Monday, with Minnesota aiming to clean up late-game decisions and restore offensive rhythm.
