Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch addressed his team’s performance following Brooklyn’s 123-107 victory at Target Center on Saturday. “We weren’t very good tonight. They kicked our butt in every category and we deserved the outcome like this,” Finch said.
Finch pointed to the Nets’ dominance in the paint as a critical factor. “At one point they had 34 of their first 42 points in the paint. That gave us fits all night long,” he explained.
The coach acknowledged lapses on both ends of the floor. “Offensively we just kind of bogged down, played with no urgency and no pop,” Finch said. He also admitted that defensive positioning contributed to the problem. “We took bad routes at the point of attack. We didn’t kind of play with physicality. They got to the corner on us and Rudy was too far down the floor,” he noted.
Finch highlighted his team’s inability to finish around the rim. “We missed 23 shots in the paint ourselves. If you’re going to play that type of game, you’ve got to be able to finish when it comes your way. We didn’t do that,” he said.
He credited Brooklyn’s disciplined approach for the win. “They switch a lot of things. They have size out there, long rangy defenders who can get out and switch, and they rebound well from their smaller positions. Their bench outplayed us for sure,” Finch said.
Reflecting on adjustments during the game, Finch added, “I think the zone helped. I should have gone to the zone earlier. We were better at the point of attack and able to cut the ball off a little bit better in the second half.”
Finch also discussed the challenge of maintaining consistency. “We just got to get back to doing simple stuff better, playing harder from the beginning of games, putting our work in. Offensively in the first half, we were inconsistent with game plan execution and our level of physicality,” he said.
Addressing the team’s self-awareness, Finch stressed action over recognition. “Acknowledging you have a problem is certainly the first step, but if you’re really self-aware, then you do something about it. Sometimes guys go inward. We need leadership to galvanize us,” he noted.
Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas returned from a 20-game absence to score 30 points, leading the Nets’ balanced attack. Michael Porter Jr. added 27 points and 10 rebounds, helping Brooklyn win four of five games and maintain a 7-3 record in December. Minnesota falls to 20-12 and will look to regroup on a four-game road trip beginning in Chicago.
