Finch might have something up his sleeve in the playoffs.
The Minnesota Timberwolves snapped the Houston Rockets' eight-game winning streak on Friday night with a 136-132 victory, and it was a win that makes you feel good about where this team is headed.
Seven players scored in double figures, Anthony Edwards hit a dagger three late to seal it, and Terrence Shannon Jr. came off the bench and dropped 23 points on five threes for the second straight game as the team's leading scorer.
After the game, head coach Chris Finch was asked about what Shannon Jr.'s recent surge could mean once the postseason begins.
"It could be style of play, it could be matchup-based, it could be needing a spark, it could be a lot of things," Finch said. "Those are great options to have. But in the playoffs, everybody's got to be willing to sacrifice if the series moves away from you or to you. You've got to be ready."
Shannon Jr. Is Making His Case at the Right Time
For most of this season, Shannon Jr. has been a reliable but quiet piece of the rotation, averaging 7.6 points on 41.3 percent shooting in 79 games.
But over the last two weeks, something clicked.
He exploded for 23 points against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, shooting 11-of-14 from the floor with five threes and five assists.
Then he followed that up with another 23 in Houston, giving him 56 points and 10 made threes over back-to-back games.
Over his last eight appearances he is averaging 10 points per game while shooting 57.9 percent from deep, which is the type of stretch that makes a coaching staff take notice.
What This Means for Minnesota's Postseason
The Timberwolves sit at 48-33 and are locked into the sixth seed in the Western Conference with the playoffs set to begin on April 18.
Edwards has been dealing with a lingering right knee issue that has caused him to miss 10 of his last 13 games, and the time away from him forced Finch to get creative with his rotation.
That is where Shannon Jr. stepped in and showed he can be a real factor.
Minnesota already has a strong core with playoff experience from back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Finals, and adding another capable scorer off the bench only makes them tougher to game plan for.
Shannon Jr. does not need to score 23 every night, but knowing he can come in and catch fire gives Finch options that did not exist a few weeks ago.
Whether he earns a regular spot in the playoff rotation or stays ready as a spark plug off the bench, Shannon Jr. has put himself in the conversation heading into the most important stretch of the season.
And as Finch said, being ready is what matters most.