Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch addressed Victor Wembanyama’s 12 blocks after Monday’s Western Conference semifinals matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Timberwolves secured a narrow victory, winning 104-102, as Wembanyama recorded 11 points, 15 rebounds, 12 blocks, and five assists. Addressing reporters after the game, Finch suggested that officials missed some goaltending calls on Wembanyama.
“Yeah, he had a lot of blocks. He had a couple uncalled goaltendings too,” Finch said. “So, those are valuable points we’d like to have back. I thought there was a smarter offense to be had in the second half, and I think we did a better job of finding that.”
His 12 blocks set an NBA playoff record for blocks. While Wembanyama was key on defense, he struggled with his shot in Game 1, going 5-for-17, including 0-for-8 from 3-point range. Rookie Dylan Harper recorded a team-high 18 points for San Antonio, shooting 7-for-13.
The Timberwolves were led by Julius Randle, who finished with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds. Anthony Edwards also made his return from a knee injury and recorded 18 points on 8-for-13 shooting.
Victor Wembanyama stressed need for improvement after a narrow Game 1 loss to the Timberwolves
Addressing the media after the Spurs Game 1 loss, Wembanyama said the team needs to be better ahead of their next matchup.
“We have to be better,” Wembanyama said. “It shows up on the stat sheet. We need to figure out before 48 hours what we can do better and I’ve got no doubt that we will. I trust us.”
He also addressed his poor shooting performance, citing how it did not help the team.
“I used too much energy on things that didn’t really help our team. So, that’s on me,” he said. “There was some good and some bad. It’s a lot on me because my game wasn’t feeling good tonight [to] where the team is going to look for me. If I had been better, if the offensive leaders on our team would have been better, it would have been different. So, basically, if everything was different, it would have been different.”
The Spurs will return to Frost Bank Center for Game 2 on Wednesday.
Read More: Fans Unimpressed Despite Victor Wembanyama Shattering Record For Most Blocks in an NBA Playoffs Game
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