The Minnesota Timberwolves led the Phoenix Suns by eight points with less than a minute left in their Friday night NBA Cup game at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.
Despite not having Devin Booker or Dillon Brooks available, the Suns stormed back in those final seconds. Collin Gillespie’s short jumper with 6.4 seconds left sealed the comeback and cemented a 114-113 win for the home team.
The loss dropped the Timberwolves to 10-6 overall and 2-1 in NBA Cup group play.
The shocking, disappointing way the game ended was prime territory for journalists to learn what went wrong and how head coach Chris Finch felt about his team’s effort. It was also a perfect opportunity for beat reporters covering the team to get Finch to explain his curious timeout strategy or the various errors his players committed down the stretch.
However, Finch’s post-game presser lasted all of two questions and 35 seconds.
Chris Finch’s entire press conference was two questions, apparently none of the beat writers are there pic.twitter.com/PtulsQnO2D
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) November 22, 2025
“Apparently, none of the beat writers are there,” wrote CJ Fogler in a social media post sharing the video Friday night. While it might have seemed like a tongue-in-cheek explanation, it turns out that’s precisely what happened.
Wolves fans, just my humble suggestion but @ChristopherHine used to be at all of the road games but his outlet is cutting their travel budget… perhaps 57,000 emails suggesting they reconsider will help make sure at least one of us is there.
As for the rest of us, others and I… https://t.co/hD5beOKxqE
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) November 22, 2025
The Minnesota Star Tribune, the largest newspaper in the state, does not send beat reporter Chris Hine to away games.
They’ll have played another game and five days will have passed before another one of us gets to ask him a question.
— Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) November 22, 2025
New York Times-owned The Athletic, which requires readers to pay to read much of the coverage on its platform, does not send beat reporter Jon Krawczynski to every Timberwolves game (though that is also partly personal choice).
I travel throughout the season, but not to every game. Two reasons:
1. Travel is really expensive so I understand the company trying to be responsible
2. I have a family. Being there for them takes priority
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) November 22, 2025
Jace Frederick, who covers the Timberwolves for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, was not sent to Phoenix to cover the game either.
When ya need a stop, gotta wonder why Clark wasn’t out there at the end
(Not in Phoenix to ask)
— Jace frederick (@JaceFrederick) November 22, 2025
The blame here isn’t on the reporters, who are clearly doing their jobs to the best of their abilities with the tools they’re given. But it is the latest in a long series of signs that the sports media industry isn’t what it used to be. Or at the very least, the value of what good sports reporters can provide when given the tools they need isn’t there in the same way.
The Timberwolves have reached two consecutive Western Conference Finals and are back in contention so far this season. You’d think there’d be a demand for them to be covered like grown-up NBA franchises in other big cities.
Then again, given the way that game ended, maybe the Timberwolves prefer it this way.