Timberwolves surge away from Phoenix Suns after coach Chris Finch is ejected

Chris Hine, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jan 30, 2025

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PHOENIX – The last time Timberwolves coach Chris Finch coached a game at Phoenix’s Footprint Center, he didn’t finish the game after Mike Conley crashed into him and ruptured his patellar tendon in Game 4 of last season’s playoffs.

Finch didn’t finish the game Wednesday night either, as he earned the first ejection of his NBA head coaching career. But it seemed to be a well-timed move that fired up his team. The Wolves took control of the game after Finch left and gutted out a 121-113 victory over the Suns, who once led by 12.

Finch wasn’t alone. Jaden McDaniels also was ejected late for a confrontation with Devin Booker, who scored 28 points.

Anthony Edwards, who separated Finch from the officials after the ejection, led the Wolves with 33 points and had a good time letting the Phoenix crowd hear about the kind of night he was having after a few dunks in the fourth quarter. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had a starring role off the bench with 23 points. Alexander-Walker was 5-for-10 from three-point range, the best offensive game he’s had in a while. Julius Randle pitched in 28.

The Wolves turned the game around after being down 72-70 when Finch was tossed. The Wolves led by as many as 16 in the fourth quarter.

Kevin Durant had 33 for Phoenix.

Wolves slow out of the gate

Offense was slow going in the first quarter for the Wolves, who had plenty of gripes with the officiating. Finch picked up a technical in the first quarter while Edwards had regular complaints after drives to the hoop without a call. The Wolves committed five turnovers and fell behind after an 11-0 Suns run made it 11-5. They were playing catch-up for the rest of the quarter. With Naz Reid out because of an illness, Luka Garza got minutes off the bench.

The Wolves defense had issues containing the Suns' firepower, as Booker and Durant each scored nine. Durant added four assists as the Suns led 29-22 after one quarter.

Rotation scrambled in the second

Finch had said forward Josh Minott’s playing time dipped recently because he was making defensive game plan mistakes. Minott started the second quarter, but Finch pulled him after 12 seconds when Beal got a back cut on him and Minott fouled him.

Finch went deep into his bench for another rotation player and called on former second-round pick Jaylen Clark, who saw his first significant NBA minutes outside of mop-up duty. The Wolves cut into the Suns' lead on a binge of threes from Edwards and Alexander-Walker, who hit two each in the quarter.

The Wolves cut the Suns' lead to 51-50 before Edwards committed turnovers on three consecutive possessions. The Wolves trailed 59-55 at the half. Randle led them with 15 while Booker had 18 for Phoenix.

Finch ejected in the third quarter

Finch got tossed in the third quarter after he said something to official C.J. Washington. The interaction appeared mild until Washington tossed him, then Edwards came over to separate Finch from Washington. Finch went to the locker room, and the Wolves took the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter. Clark again got rotation minutes in the third quarter. The Wolves defense got them the lead, as they held Phoenix to 18 points in the third quarter. The offense came around in the fourth.

‘Flu-like’ illness plaguing Wolves

The Wolves had two players enter Wednesday’s game questionable because of an illness: Reid and Rob Dillingham. Reid missed the game; Dillingham was able to play. This came after Edwards entered Saturday’s game against Denver questionable because of an illness. Finch said a “flu-like” illness was going through the team.