Chris Finch Blasted Tony Brothers For Ignoring His Timeout and Then Confronting Him Twice During Game 3
Minnesota's coach didn't hold back after Friday night's 115-108 loss to San Antonio. Chris Finch called out NBA official Tony Brothers for what he described as "completely unprofessional behavior" during a fourth-quarter sequence that had the Timberwolves fuming on the sideline.
The Timeout Nobody Granted
With about 5:12 left in Game 3, Finch tried to call a timeout to reset a messy offensive possession. Brothers was standing right there at the halfcourt line. He didn't grant it until the 5:09 mark, and by then Finch had already stomped onto the court in obvious frustration. "I told him 'I want my 3 seconds back,'" Finch explained to reporters after the game. "He clearly heard me call timeout. He looked my way, ignored me, went on with the play. Almost cost us a turnover."
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Brothers apparently didn't appreciate Finch's reaction. The official turned his direction, walked toward the Minnesota huddle, and shared some retaliatory words with the coach. Timberwolves center Naz Reid stepped in and broke up the first argument. But it didn't end there. Finch went back to talk to Brothers moments later, telling the official he wanted to know where the basketball would be inbounded. Brothers advanced toward Finch again, and the two had words a second time. "He lost it," Finch said. This time, guard Bones Hyland and assistant coach Pablo Prigioni stopped Brothers before he got all the way to Finch. The interaction finally cooled down. Anthony Edwards was standing next to Finch during the yelling match. "Competition at the highest level," Edwards said. "We wanna win. Finchy wanna win. Tony Brothers is Tony Brothers. We all love him."
This wasn't the only officiating drama in the playoffs this week. Lakers guard Austin Reaves called an interaction with official John Goble "disrespectful" after a Game 2 loss in Oklahoma City on Thursday night. For Finch and the Wolves, though, the frustration with Brothers was just part of a disappointing night at home.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.