Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch didn’t shy away from the team’s shortcomings after a 124-94 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder ended their season in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.
Speaking postgame at Paycom Center, Finch pointed directly to the team’s early offensive struggles as the turning point.
“We missed a bunch of shots early,” he said. “They led to runouts… we lost our connectivity.”
Finch acknowledged that once Oklahoma City seized control, his team failed to respond cohesively.
“Everyone was kind of trying to do it all by themselves,” he said. “All credit to the Thunder. They certainly deserved this.”
Minnesota committed 21 turnovers, continuing a trend Finch said was a key factor throughout the series.
“Every single time they’ve beaten us, we’ve had 18 to 20-plus turnovers,” Finch explained. “Every time we’ve beaten them, we’ve had 10 to 12.”
He credited Oklahoma City’s physical defense and discipline for forcing mistakes.
“There was a crowd on one side of the floor,” Finch said. “They’re super handsy and physical… they were just taking it from us in those spaces.”
Finch said the loss was painful but emphasized that defeat is never easy, regardless of the margin.
“If you lose, you lose,” he said. “All losses are disappointment for us.”
When asked about Anthony Edwards, Finch said the 23-year-old guard needs to adjust to playoff physicality.
“He’s got to learn to play against that physicality and that type of holding all the time,” Finch said. “I think they made it really hard for him.”
He added that Edwards made the right plays for much of the series but needs help finding consistent looks.
“I’ve got to help him do that,” Finch said. “That’s on us as much as anybody.”
Finch was also asked about Mike Conley, the 37-year-old point guard who went scoreless in 21 minutes.
“Mike is super upset,” Finch said. “We all wanted to go as far and win it all for Mike.”
Despite the bitter ending, Finch praised the team’s progress during the season.
“I’m just very proud of the guys,” he said. “They stuck with it. They stuck with each other. They stuck with me.”
The Timberwolves entered the playoffs with momentum after a 26-5 stretch but couldn’t sustain it against the top-seeded Thunder.
Still, Finch expressed optimism about the team’s future.
“I do think it’s replicable,” he said. “We’ve got some young guys who are itching to play and I know can help us.”
Finch said the Western Conference is only getting tougher and emphasized the need to be ready for every opportunity.
“You’ve got to go for it now,” he said. “These guys are well-positioned to do that.”
Though the Timberwolves were eliminated, Finch credited Oklahoma City for being the better team.
“They played better. They’re better,” he said. “The better team won this series.”
