Chris Finch turns the heat on Anthony Edwards and Timberwolves for “diabolical” mistake in Game 1 loss

With Steph Curry missing most of the night, Game 1 was ripe for the taking — but the Minnesota Timberwolves let the opportunity slip, falling flat at home in a 99-88 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Minnesota’s offense faltered all game long, as they shot a brutal 17.2% from 3(5-for-29), turned the ball over 16 times and never found any consistent rhythm. Anthony Edwards led the team with 23 points, but he struggled early, going 0-for-8 in the first half and scoring just one point by halftime.

In the postgame presser, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch singled out one glaring issue: poor transition execution.

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“Our transition decision making was diabolical,” the coach said (per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin).

Even though the Timberwolves held a 10-6 edge in fastbreak points, they failed to convert those chances into easy buckets. That was a surprising development, as they ranked third in the playoffs during the first round with 16.0 fastbreak points per game.

Interestingly, both teams made the same number of field goals — 34 — with Golden State taking 87 shots to Minnesota’s 86. But the key difference came from beyond the arc: the Warriors knocked down 18 3s, while the Timberwolves connected on just five.

Julius Randle finished with 18 points on a chilly 4-for-11 shooting. Jaden McDaniels added 12 points on 12 shots, and Rudy Gobert was held to nine points and 11 rebounds.

Naz Reid brought some life off the bench, putting up 19 points on an efficient 8-for-14 shooting clip.

Chris Finch says Timberwolves’ shooting struggles ‘start with Anthony Edwards’

Anthony Edwards couldn’t find a rhythm early, and his quiet first half — where he had just one point — gave the Warriors all the momentum, allowing them to take a 44-31 halftime lead.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said the team’s energy dipped along with Edwards’ confidence.

“It starts with Anthony,” he said (per McMenamin). “You could see the light go out for a little while.”

Edwards was a force in the first round against the Lakers, averaging 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting 42.0% overall and 33.3% from deep. But in Game 1, even after a late push, he ended up at 40.9% from the field and just 20.0% from deep.

The Timberwolves will now look to bounce back on their home floor in Game 2, set for Thursday.

About the author

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alt=”John Ezekiel Hirro” height=”72″ width=”72″>

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university’s official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant’s departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson’s record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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