Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch did not hide his frustration after his team allowed 153 points in a 153-128 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night at Intuit Dome.
The defeat marked Minnesota’s third straight loss and came against a Clippers team that shot 63% from the field and 51% from three-point range.
Finch said the problems began almost immediately, pointing to early turnovers that shifted the game’s momentum.
“It was turnovers,” Finch said. “I think we had seven turnovers in like the first 10 possessions or something like that.”
He said many of those mistakes were self-inflicted.
“Careless stuff,” Finch said. “Most of them unforced, so kind of set the tone for the game.”
The early miscues forced Minnesota to play from behind for most of the night.
“It was uphill all the way after that,” Finch said.
The Timberwolves pride themselves on defensive consistency, but the Clippers’ offense never slowed down.
“To give up 153 in a game for a team that prides itself on defense, it’s not acceptable,” Finch said.
The Minnesota coach pointed to the Clippers’ efficiency across every scoring category.
“They didn’t have a single quarter under 35 points and they shot 63%, 51 from three and went to the line 36 times,” Finch said. “Not an acceptable defensive performance at all.”
Despite the defensive breakdown, Finch said he saw positives from the offensive side.
“We shot 60%, 44 from three, got to the line 29 times and had 32 assists,” Finch said.
However, turnovers continued to limit Minnesota’s ability to close the gap.
“I think we had 15 turnovers at halftime,” Finch said. “In the second half we did a better job taking care of the ball, but we couldn’t get a stop.”
Los Angeles was led by Kawhi Leonard, who finished with 45 points on 15-of-20 shooting.
Finch acknowledged the challenge of defending the former Finals MVP when he finds rhythm.
“He’s a phenomenal player,” Finch said. “He’s playing at the level that he was, Toronto, MVP Finals Kawhi.”
The Timberwolves tried multiple defensive adjustments but struggled to slow Leonard once he established momentum.
“He had the mid-range shot going and he was eight for eight I think at halftime,” Finch said.
Minnesota attempted to trap the Clippers star later in the game.
“Then we tried to double him and he made the right play every single time,” Finch said. “Made us pay.”
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 36 points, while Naz Reid added 18 off the bench.
Still, Finch emphasized that execution on both ends must improve as the Western Conference race tightens.
“We got to regroup,” Finch said. “We got to play both sides of the floor.”
The Timberwolves remain sixth in the Western Conference but now trail the third-place Los Angeles Lakers by only half a game.
Finch believes the group must quickly reset before the next matchup.
“It feels like we’re a million miles away from where we were a week ago, but we’re not,” Finch said.
He said the focus now is simple.
“Got to regroup and win the next game.”
