Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch offered a candid assessment following his team’s 118-103 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Thursday night.
Finch pointed to the final moments of the second quarter as a key turning point, stating, “I thought again we didn’t close the half very well… if we close the half better, then we don’t put ourselves on such a razor edge in the third.”
After trailing by eight at halftime, Minnesota was outscored 35-21 in the third period as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder capitalized on missed shots and turnovers.
“We had a few more [turnovers] in the third quarter,” Finch said. “Missed some shots, didn’t finish at the basket, and then… it led to a bunch of stuff in early attack mode for them.”
When asked about the message to his players heading into Game 3 at Target Center, Finch emphasized the importance of remaining resilient. “Every minute in the series is a chance to find something,” he said. “We’re going to go home and fight for Game 3.”
Julius Randle, limited to six points on 2-for-11 shooting, was benched late in favor of Naz Reid. Finch explained the decision: “Nas had a good game going… just wanted to try to see if I can spread the floor and get some quick decision-making out there.”
Finch credited Mike Conley’s impact, highlighting his defensive presence and poise under pressure. “Mike is a high-level game plan execution. He’s tough, he’s physical… just a safe pair of hands against a lot of pressure.”
With Jalen Williams scoring 26 points and consistently breaking down the Timberwolves’ defense, Finch acknowledged the challenge of containing him. “He’s getting to his left hand way too much,” he noted. “We’ve got to do a better job of cutting that off.”
Anthony Edwards posted 32 points but shot just 1-of-9 from three-point range. Finch said the team tried to simplify Edwards’ looks by posting him up early to reduce defensive traffic.
On the defensive end, Finch pointed to issues in stopping Oklahoma City’s dribble penetration and mid-range efficiency. “Shai’s a handful to contain… he’s getting around us too,” he said. “We’ve got to square these drives and we’ve got to play with more physicality.”
Despite improved post play and decent first-half execution, Minnesota shot just 41.4% from the field and allowed 30 assists on 45 Thunder baskets.
“They’ve been really good in that 10 to 14-foot range,” Finch said. “We’ve contested a bunch… but we’ve got to stay a little more connected.”
Game 3 tips off Saturday night in Minneapolis, where the Timberwolves must win to avoid falling into a 3-0 deficit—one no team in NBA history has ever come back from.
