After being battered handily by the brand-new 2025 NBA MVP, Chris Finch knew he needed to find a way to slow down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander if his Minnesota Timberwolves were going to have a chance to remain competitive in the Western Conference Finals.
In Game 3, Finch can more or less declare mission accomplished, at least for one game, as the Thunder star was held to just 14 points in 28 minutes in a game that was over at halftime.
Asked about how his team decided to handle the reigning MVP in Game 3, and how it differed from the games in Oklahoma City, Finch broke down the situation with a laugh.
“You want me to tell you?” Finch joked. “I mean, you know, like I said, we just were more aggressive everywhere. You know, I thought we were a little cleaner around him with, you know, didn't foul. You know, just our competitiveness was at an all time high. Like, you know, he was a phenomenal player, man. And he's not going to have too many nights like this. So we feel fortunate for that. And we'll move on to Monday.”
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Widely blasted for being a “foul artist,” SGA really didn't see the line much in Game 3, taking and making just four fouls in Game 3 versus 29 combined free throw attempts between Game 1 and 2. The Timberwolves played Gilgeous-Alexander hard, yes, but they did so without drawing the contact he's become accustomed to, forcing the Kentucky product to earn his points the old-fashioned way, which he struggled to do at his usual clip.
Has Finch figured out how to stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for good? Will the Timberwolves take two games at home and return the series to OKC as a best-of-three? Or will Mark Dangault do a counter punch of his own, finding a way to get his starters back to their scoring ways while forcing the Timberwolves to play his preferred style of basketball? Fans will find out soon enough.
"What did you guys do better and or differently against [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] tonight?"
Chris Finch: "Do you want me to tell you?… We were a little cleaner around him, didn't foul."pic.twitter.com/QqSLfZeYs3
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 25, 2025
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