Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch called out his team’s late-game execution following a narrow 114-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday at the Mortgage Matchup Center.
“We lost our minds. Poor execution. Turnovers obviously and just didn’t stay locked in for the last 90 seconds,” Finch said during his brief postgame press conference.
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 41 points but missed two critical free throws with 12.7 seconds left, giving Phoenix the chance to take the lead.
Finch noted that the team had prepared for late-game pressure, including double teams, but execution fell short: “I thought he made some good reads and we prepare for it all the time.”
Minnesota erased a 15-point halftime deficit early in the third quarter, with Edwards scoring 19 points in the period, giving the Timberwolves an 82-81 lead entering the fourth. Despite the rally, Collin Gillespie scored 20 points for the Suns, including the go-ahead jumper with 6.4 seconds remaining, and Phoenix completed the comeback.
Julius Randle’s buzzer-beating 3-point attempt was off the mark, sealing Minnesota’s defeat.
Dillon Brooks added 22 points and Mark Williams scored 19 for Phoenix, while Devin Booker struggled with 16 points on 4-of-18 shooting and fouled out with more than three minutes remaining.
Minnesota drops to 10-6 overall and 2-1 in NBA Cup play, while the Suns improve to 10-6 and 2-0. The Timberwolves will travel to Sacramento on Monday.
