Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch previewed his team’s upcoming Western Conference semifinal against the Golden State Warriors, calling the series “a tough one” and noting the stylistic similarities between both squads.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Game 1, Finch acknowledged the Warriors’ postseason pedigree and their recent surge, saying, “They’re similar to us — they played their best basketball down the stretch and into the playoffs.”
Golden State defeated Minnesota in three of four regular-season matchups, but Finch emphasized that those contests occurred before the Warriors’ trade deadline roster changes.
“They haven’t played us with the new-look roster,” Finch said.
One major point of focus for Minnesota will be transition defense.
“They certainly hurt us in transition — that’s going to be a big point of emphasis,” Finch stated, highlighting Stephen Curry and Draymond Green’s central roles in the Warriors’ half-court actions.
He also credited Golden State’s addition of Jimmy Butler, saying Butler added “ISO baskets on demand” and another closer to their lineup.
Minnesota plans to maintain its uptempo identity, despite the Warriors’ physical toll from a grueling seven-game series against Houston.
“We’ve been emphasizing pace for the last 40 games,” Finch said. “You want to try to push pace… you just got to be super disciplined in your shot selection.”
The Timberwolves enter the series well-rested after eliminating the Lakers in five games, but Finch acknowledged potential concerns with the five-day layoff.
“We’ve had a really good week… it’s going to come down to executing the game plan,” he said.
Finch also discussed Rudy Gobert’s role in countering Golden State’s small-ball lineups.
“When he’s playing at his best, he takes us to another level,” Finch said, citing Gobert’s rim activity and rebounding as critical.
Golden State’s defensive success, especially post-trade, has also caught Finch’s attention.
“Their turnover generation is way up,” he noted, crediting Butler and Green’s ability to disrupt passing lanes and apply off-ball pressure.
On Curry’s growth defensively, Finch was clear. “Steph has a high care factor… you’re not just going to put Steph on an island and come up with bucket after bucket.”
Containing Curry will require a collective defensive effort. “It’s not going to be one person’s job alone,” Finch said, mentioning Jaden McDaniels, Mike Conley, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker as key perimeter defenders.
Finch reflected on how the Warriors shifted more toward pick-and-roll sets when facing the Timberwolves during the regular season.
“They move to a pick-and-roll game, so we got to be a little bit better in our coverages there,” he said.
The Timberwolves turned the ball over just seven times in their Game 5 win over Los Angeles, and Finch stressed the importance of maintaining composure against a swarming Warriors defense.
“You got to have a higher care factor,” he said. “Some of it’s just sloppiness when we’ve struggled with turnovers.”
Minnesota holds home-court advantage to start the second round, but Finch dismissed any shift in mindset based on betting odds.
“When you’re playing against a team who’s won… they believe they can win it,” Finch said. “I’m pretty confident in our ability to maintain our mental edge.”
Game 1 between the Timberwolves and Warriors tips off Tuesday night at Target Center.
With both teams bringing their best to the court, this series promises to be a High Roller showdown between two of the West’s most explosive contenders.
