Facing elimination, Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch’s frustrations boiled over early in Game 5 after his team got off to a poor start.
Finch received a technical foul during their last timeout in the opening quarter that saw the Timberwolves score a season-low nine points.
“[Thunder] will test you mentally,” Doris Burke said on the ESPN broadcast. “You’ve got to have some endurance. And already, you see some signs of frustration from Minnesota. They’ve got to keep their composure.”
Play-by-play anchor Mike Breen saw a coach trying to motivate his struggling team in a win-or-go-home game.
“Chris Finch kind of wants to show a little fight for his team,” Breen said.
The Oklahoma City Thunder held the Timberwolves to 3-for-20 shooting in the first quarter as they took a commanding 26-9 lead. They are looking to close out the Timberwolves and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012.
The Timberwolves had more turnovers (4) than made field goals (3) in the opening quarter. Anthony Edwards scored six points on 2-for-5 shooting, while the rest of the Timberwolves were a woeful 1-for-15 shooting for only three points.
Only 13 teams have successfully come back from a 3-1 series deficit in the history of the NBA playoffs. Teams with a 3-1 lead have gone on to win the series 95.6% of the time.
Chris Finch Adds to Timberwolves Woes With Frustrating Move