NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: TIMBERWOLVES VS WARRIORS

May 12, 2025

Chris Finch

Minnesota Timberwolves

Game 4 - Pregame Media Conference

Q. What do you want to do differently with Kuminga today just in terms of making it difficult for him and problems he presents?

CHRIS FINCH: I think we've got to be a little bit more physical. I think he was dictating physicality on his matchup offensively. We've got to try to stand up his drives a little bit earlier.

And then, I think, also, we knew -- he played well against us in Game 2 we knew he was going to continue to be -- or feature in this series but you know we've got to kind of shut his water off a little bit earlier. He got going too much.

Q. As you evaluate maybe the turnovers in this series when they come from you guys, how much are these preventible or maybe turnovers that their action and their defense are causing?

CHRIS FINCH: Yeah, we turned it over at a pretty high level last game. I was surprised we were able to survive that to be honest with you.

A lot of the turnovers, I thought last game, their handsiness, us not having great spacing. Those are certainly preventible, understanding their defense.

Their defense has morphed a little bit through the series but they have always done a good job. They lead the league in generating turnovers since Butler got here. It's what they do and we have to be able to avoid that.

I do feel like a lot of them are preventible but you know, just with how aggressive they are, they are going to turn you over at some point.

Q. Your offensive rebounding has been a strength in the playoffs. Is it a bigger factor given their seemingly sense of urgency?

CHRIS FINCH: Yeah, we have to try to keep them out of transition, all the ways that you can do that. You know, first and foremost is scoring, and secondly is being big in and around the basket. They are switching a lot of stuff. So you know, it might give us a size advantage at times and we've got to try to capitalize on that and you know, it's something that we made a big point of emphasis midseason.

Guys have been committed to it.

Q. You just mentioned, you felt like their defense is morphing throughout the series. I guess how, would you say?

CHRIS FINCH: Yeah, obviously they are pretty determined in specific ways that they want to guard Anthony. They do a great job of swarming you deep in the paint. I thought they did -- had a more, I guess, deliberate mindset to swarm you up the floor and not allow us to get to the paint as much. You know, of course, the heavy switching, and at times, you know, going between switching in coverage. You know, the zone.

So they are giving us a lot of different things to think about.

Q. Especially when Julius and Mike are off the floor it looked like you guys struggled with ball pressure immediately once you crossed halfcourt and could get into some early offense is that something that you feel like you need to come up coming into this game?

CHRIS FINCH: Yeah, we didn't like our top-of-the-floor spacing. I thought we were -- got in each other's way out there, and we need to clean up that open-floor spacing, just because if they are going to put that much pressure on the ball then we have to be able to go by it.

Q. Because Jason is such a versatile defender, how does he handle being able to go anywhere when you don't have one thing to focus on with Steph Curry? How do you employ his versatility?

CHRIS FINCH: Yeah, the beauty of him is you can put him literally anywhere. You put him as a switchable defender. You can put him as an on ball guy. You know, you can put him in coverage and pick-and-roll.

We've done it all with him, and we'll continue to do that. It gives us optionality and size. You know, when we have other guys who can guard the ball like we do, you know, it's great to have him at the rim, as well. He's one of the best rim protecting wings in the league, and you know, that's something that we like to do is have him off the ball.

Q. We saw Game 4 against the Lakers, and then on Saturday, seemingly kind of sparks things or gets you guys back into games with really tough threes but what has been the progression of him not living and dying on those?

CHRIS FINCH: It's been recognition by him that they are pretty tight to him and not letting him get up a high value amount of threes. He's been doing a pretty good job of attacking there. I do think there are some more catch-and-shoot opportunities for him, and we talked about that today.

So a lot of that's going to be relying on our ball movement. We've got to move the ball for him and he can benefit.

But you know, there are, I think, some cleaner looks for him out there. He just has to be a little bit more ready to take them.

Q. In what way will you know that your team is coming out with the proper sense of urgency and not having a potential letdown, knowing that the Warriors really would like to go back to Minnesota tied 2-2?

CHRIS FINCH: For me it's all about game plan, execution; are we locked into the small things we need to do in the game plan. Obviously have to put the work in. We know exactly what's coming from Golden State.

Q. A lot of times we'll see a guy get in the paint and Rudy is there, and they will dribble out and not even try to challenge him. How much of his defensive impact doesn't show up on a stat sheet?

CHRIS FINCH: A ton. It's always been the case with these elite rim protectors that deterrents is probably the biggest thing. That's changed a little bit in recent times. I think guys are going in there and taking on these guys because there are benefits to it.

But you know, just, yeah, making teams think twice about coming in there and when they could come in there and just shutting down their ability to even get a shot off is huge.

Q. You mentioned in Minneapolis Draymond seems to be everywhere at once on defense. You guys scored 40 in the first half and 62 in the second. Obviously much of that is you guys playing better, but how much the fact that he was off the court a lot with foul trouble, how much of a factor was that do you think?

CHRIS FINCH: No doubt. I mean, he's a phenomenal defensive player. Not just in the things that he does individually or one-on-one setting but how he just kind of runs his whole team. You know, I've long thought that it's tough to beat this team unless you have -- unless you can make him pay somehow for his activity.

And yeah, there's no doubt that him being in foul trouble and off the floor certainly helped us.

Q. The way you guys limited their three-point attempts the first half and even for the entire game, was that a point of emphasis or was it more the personnel they had or a combination of those things, to be able to do that?

CHRIS FINCH: I think this team's -- obviously Steph is not there so he changes the dynamics quite a bit but you know, the team still plays in a great rhythm with so much movement off ball. You know, they are still hunting the same shots. We have all experienced the run of threes that they can put on the board in a hurry. Feel like knockout punches at times.

So anything you've got to do to limit them getting those threes certainly in a row, you know, is really important taking away their momentum.