Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori credited his team’s effort and focus on winning possessions for Friday night’s 112-107 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder at Target Center.
“We match up well with them, and they don’t do anything that we didn’t see in the Western Conference Finals,” Nori said. “The one thing we always preach against this ball club is you’ve got to win the possession game. Tonight we won the possession game and that’s huge.”
Nori reflected on the charged atmosphere after head coach Chris Finch was ejected early in the first quarter. “He didn’t want to get kicked out at all. I just liked the energy that it brought, and this group has been together so long that nothing changes,” he explained. “Everybody rallied around Coach Finch, and the game plan didn’t change. We didn’t run any new plays. It was business as usual.”
He highlighted Rudy Gobert’s impact on both ends, particularly on the offensive glass. “Rudy did a great job tonight on the offensive glass, keeping balls alive. When Rudy plays well and with energy, we usually win basketball games,” Nori said. “The last shot was big, but his general activity tonight, grabbing 12 rebounds, was crucial.”
Nori also emphasized the team’s scrappiness and effort. “We’ve yet to really feel like we’ve caught our groove. We talked about winning the possession game, attacking the glass, and taking care of the basketball. That includes second-chance opportunities, and Anthony hit the big one off that.”
On rotations and guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nori said, “We have multiple guys that can guard Shai. The rotations with Jaden and Anthony allowed us to stagger minutes, apply pressure, and maintain defensive coverage. Rob Dillingham getting downhill in the fourth and finishing with six rebounds and three assists helped us immensely.”
Regarding late-game adjustments with Julius Randle and Gobert, Nori added, “It was Kevin Hansen’s idea to switch Julius back late to see what happens offensively. Then we put Rudy back in for defense, and he got the kick-out that created a scoring opportunity. That flexibility helped us finish the game strong.”
Anthony Edwards returned from a three-game absence to lead Minnesota with 26 points and 12 rebounds, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 38.5 seconds left. Edwards also secured a critical defensive rebound and stole the ball from Gilgeous-Alexander on the final possession. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 35 points for the Thunder, but the defending champions fell to 25-3, while Minnesota improved to 18-10.
