Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch reflected on a hard-fought 113-105 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday at Paycom Center.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points, including 15 free throws, leading the Thunder to their 18th win in 19 games and marking the third-longest streak of 20-point games in NBA history. Finch acknowledged the difficulty of containing him, saying, “Shai goes to the line 17 times, which kind of hurts, but I thought we did a really good job defensively.”
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 31 points and eight rebounds, keeping the Timberwolves within striking distance. Finch praised his team’s defensive effort but admitted missed free throws and small execution errors contributed to the defeat. “If we made our free throws in the first half, it’s pretty much a tie game… gotta make all the small plays,” he said.
Finch noted Minnesota struggled offensively in stretches, losing rhythm in the second half despite strong early execution. He highlighted the importance of maintaining composure in late-game situations to avoid turnovers.
The Timberwolves received a boost from Terrence Shannon Jr., who contributed off the bench. Finch said, “It’s good to see a return to form… the TJ that we saw last year and all throughout the preseason.”
Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle led the Timberwolves in rebounding, with Gobert collecting 12 boards, but Oklahoma City’s free-throw dominance and late-game execution proved decisive. Chet Holmgren’s corner three with 38 seconds remaining helped the Thunder secure the win.
Despite frustration with officiating, Finch said his team stayed focused. “Guys were able to kind of recenter for the most part,” he noted, emphasizing mental resilience as Minnesota prepares for Saturday’s home matchup against Boston.
The Timberwolves will aim to correct free-throw struggles, which saw them convert just 22 of 37 attempts, and sharpen late-game execution as they look to compete against top-tier teams in the NBA Cup.
