Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch emphasized resilience after Wednesday’s 110-108 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets at Target Center. “We didn’t give up. A couple kind of shucks plays to start overtime, but we regrouped well, brought some physicality back to the game…super proud of the guys,” Finch said.
Finch highlighted the team’s defensive effort throughout the game. “I thought we were solid all night,” he said. “Really all night…we should have won that game in regulation. We were the better team all night.” The Timberwolves held the Rockets under control for the first three quarters, limiting high-percentage shots despite multiple questionable calls.
Addressing frustration over officiating, Finch noted, “Guys were certainly frustrated. This game should have ended at regulation…Durant goes to the line 12 times himself, but we kept going and kept fighting. Donte made a huge shot and Kyle got a huge and-one, offensive rebound, got a bunch of stops, so it’s all that mattered.”
Finch also criticized a rare flagrant call on Julius Randle. “I’ve never seen it before…he was going through a screen, they call a foul. Flagrant? I don’t know.” Randle finished with 24 points, all coming after halftime, including the game-winning jumper with 8.8 seconds left in OT.
The coach praised Julius’s defensive presence. “He really sat down and guarded extremely well…when Jaden went out, Kyle and him had to take that mostly,” Finch said. Minnesota’s comeback was fueled by a 15-0 run in overtime after falling behind by 13. “Our heads went down when we went down 13, but 3:30 left…we made all the right plays,” Finch explained.
Finch credited improved defensive coordination since the All-Star break. “We’ve been playing pretty good defense…we put a big emphasis on setting the tone on the ball and being physical,” he said. He singled out Donte DiVincenzo’s impact: “A lot of times he had a guy he could take liberties off of…he gets back in the play, and then it makes something happen.”
The coach also addressed rotations and bench contributions. “Mike [Conley] was probably best served when he’s warmed up…Bones didn’t necessarily have a great night, but that spark off the bench I didn’t want to lose,” Finch said. Kyle Anderson’s versatility was key defensively. “One of the reasons our defense is better is because of Kyle…the intelligence he gives us.”
Even with multiple key players unavailable late—including Rudy Gobert fouling out and Naz Reid ejected—Finch noted the team’s connectivity. “We haven’t always had that this season…but whatever it takes to win and whoever that means on the floor, that’s what we’re going to lean into.”
Minnesota improved to 45-28, staying half a game behind fourth-place Denver in the Western Conference. Houston fell to 43-29 despite 30-point performances from Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun.
