Coach Chris Finch was pleased with his Minnesota Timberwolves after they won another playoff game.
The Minnesota Timberwolves overcame a deficit to beat the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night and now lead the Western Conference semifinals 2-1.
During the post-game interview, Finch heaped praise on how the team worked to answer the physical play of the opponents.
“I’m proud of our guys. We fought them in the mud. It was an ugly game,” Finch said.
Game 3 of the playoff series between the Timberwolves and Warriors was indeed more physical.
In an attempt to contain Minnesota’s attack and win the duel, Golden State was more aggressive on defense. As a result, they had 24 fouls and even saw Draymond Green ejected in the fourth quarter.
However, as Finch pointed out, the Minnesota team knew how to respond to the opponent’s physicality to secure the comeback and come away with the victory.
The Timberwolves’ offensive standout was Anthony Edwards. The star scored 36 points in 44 minutes, going 5-14 from three-point range.
In addition to the number 5, Julius Randle also stood out. The power forward recorded a triple-double, with 24 points, 12 assists and ten rebounds.
However, he became the second player in Minnesota history to score two or more triple-doubles in the playoffs.
Randle played an important part in responding to the Warriors’ hard-fought style. The power forward was one of the Timberwolves who made an effort to bother Green early in Game 3, in order to slow down the Warriors.
Given Randle’s great performance, the Timberwolves coach also highlighted the star’s importance for the team in the playoffs.
“Randle has been the one that has really changed our season,” Finch said.
“His ability to create plays, make decisions, play in different areas of the court. So he’s almost like another point guard on the court.
“He’s everything to us and he’s been instrumental in our turnaround. He’s everything to our team.” he added.
