Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch called out referee Tony Brothers following his team’s Game 3 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, taking umbrage with what he called Brothers’ “completely unprofessional behavior.”
Brothers, the longtime NBA ref, and Finch got into it during a timeout, with players and staff holding Brothers back, while Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards walked Finch away.
Advertisement
“I’m not sure I’ve seen players hold a referee back from their head coach before…” a reporter began to ask after the game, before Finch cut in: “Pretty unprofessional, huh?”
He then went in on Brothers.
Finch said he was frustrated over what he perceived as an intentional delay in being granted a timeout.
“I wanted the timeout. I had called it 3 seconds earlier and I wanted the timeout,” Finch said. “I said ‘I want my 3 seconds back,’ … because he clearly heard me. He looked my way, ignored me, went on with the play … almost cost us a turnover. So, and then, you know, he lost it.
“Then I went to ask him where the ball was going to be taken in and he screamed at me for that. So, completely unprofessional behavior by him.”
Edwards downplayed the incident after the game, saying it’s all part of “competition at the highest level.”
Advertisement
“We want to win. Finchy wants to win. Tony Brothers is Tony Brothers. We all love him, so it’s all good here,” Edwards said.
Edwards scored 32 points, but Spurs star Victor Wembanyama scored 39 to lead the way to a 115-108 victory that gives San Antonio a 2-1 lead.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chris Finch rips Tony Brothers for ‘unprofessional behavior’
