Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch has seen his team squander a prime opportunity to advance to the Western Conference Finals by dropping three consecutive games to the Denver Nuggets.
Now, they face the daunting task of solving the Nikola Jokic puzzle twice in a row while battling the loss of momentum.
Despite the grim situation, Finch managed to deliver a mild jab at the NBA’s policy on fines after Rudy Gobert was penalized $75,000 for making a money gesture toward the referees. Gobert had previously been fined $100,000 for the same gesture directed at Scott Foster back in March, bringing his total to $175,000 for the bit.
Finch’s comment highlights a perceived inconsistency in the NBA’s disciplinary actions, particularly noting that Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was not suspended and received only a minor fine for throwing a towel and heat pack onto the court during Denver’s Game 2 loss. Finch seems to be questioning the fairness of the fines imposed on Gobert.
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A charitable interpretation is that Finch is standing up for his player.
However, a more rational view might be that there is too much complaining from everyone still in the NBA Playoffs, and it looks especially bad as the Timberwolves’ best season in decades is rapidly unraveling.
Gobert was impressive in Game 5, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the field, though he couldn’t contain Jokic, who scored 40 points. But who can stop Jokic? Not even the clock. The Timberwolves will need Gobert to perform like the NBA Defensive Player of the Decade for the next 96 minutes, or Finch will have plenty of time to lament postseason fines and scrutinize receipts like someone undergoing an audit.
