The Minnesota Timberwolves lost Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals 108-105 to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, which is a highly competitive result on paper. If the team was expecting to be praised for a close loss, however, coach Chris Finch had quite the wake-up call for them.
Finch told reporters on Thursday that the day’s film session had been a “rough” one, and that he had relayed a brutally honest message to his players.
“It was a rough film session,” Finch said, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I told the guys, ‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been this disappointed in your effort. Your performance, your attitude, your application and attention to detail just wasn’t there.’ The Western Conference finals started. Not sure if they got the memo. But they got it this afternoon.”
Finch’s frustration came from the manner in which the team lost. The Mavericks outrebounded them by eight and outscored them 62-38 in the paint, both of which are poor marks for a team that prides itself on defense. Despite that, they nearly got away with it, opening up a four-point lead with roughly 3:30 to go before fading down the stretch.
The Timberwolves will not be lacking in confidence. If they clean up the effort, they should be much better in Game 2.
