Chris Finch delivered a candid breakdown after the Minnesota Timberwolves escaped San Antonio with a 104-102 win in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday night.
“Great game. Defense was at an all time high on both ends,” Finch said, pointing to the narrow margins throughout. “We were up nine. They were up seven. But it felt a lot tighter than that.”
Minnesota leaned heavily on defensive execution late, with Finch crediting persistence more than comfort. “Really good job by our guys figuring out a way to make enough shots and sticking with the defense,” he added.
Anthony Edwards returned unexpectedly from injury and provided a key scoring lift. “It was huge,” Finch said. “By that time he found a little bit of a rhythm.”
Finch also emphasized Julius Randle’s off-ball impact beyond the box score. “I thought Julius was really good, just subtly good with everything he was doing off ball and obviously when he had the ball in his hands.”
Edwards finished with 18 points in 25 minutes after entering off the bench. Finch praised his discipline within a minutes restriction. “He did a really good job of not pushing and forcing things even though he knew he was on a minutes restriction.”
Terrence Shannon Jr. also shifted momentum in the third quarter. “He just found the second wind more than anything. He got downhill, does what he does best,” Finch said. “I’m proud our guys went into the paint all night long.”
Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels anchored Minnesota’s defensive identity against Victor Wembanyama, who set a playoff record with 12 blocks. Finch kept the focus on execution rather than scheme changes. “It’s just a little more clued into what they’re trying to do and the way you have to defend him.”
Finch also addressed the fourth-quarter sequence where Minnesota did not call a timeout before a late Spurs push. “That’s on me. That’s my fault,” he said. “I should have called timeout there… I should have called timeout when I saw we were struggling to get it in.”
He acknowledged San Antonio’s pressure defense in that moment. “I thought we could execute, but we didn’t.”
Mike Conley’s presence remained a stabilizing factor despite matchup concerns. “There’s always a role for Mike Conley. The guy’s an amazing basketball player, unbelievable winner,” Finch said.
Finch credited improved offensive spacing in the second half for helping Minnesota survive Wembanyama’s rim protection. “A little bit better spacing, a little bit better off ball movement,” he said. “I thought there was smarter offense to be had in the second half and I think we did a better job of finding that.”
Looking ahead to Game 2, Finch emphasized continuity over adjustment. “Just getting our best five out there at times and finding minutes for those guys,” he said of his frontcourt usage.
Minnesota leads the series 1-0 heading into Wednesday’s Game 2 in San Antonio.
