Minnesota wasn't nearly as sharp offensively against Denver in Game 5, and Finch explained why that was the case.
The Minnesota Timberwolves will tip off Game 6 at Target Center on Thursday evening, looking to close out their first-round series with the Denver Nuggets. Last time out, their Western Conference rivals handed them a 125-113 defeat without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo.
Nikola Jokic posted 27 points, 16 assists, and 12 rebounds in the Nuggets' Game 5 win. But what made this loss sting wasn't all about Denver. Much of the loss could be chalked up to Minnesota's poor offensive performance.
"Our spacing was poor," Finch said. "I thought just in general, our offense kind of broke down too early. And then, our decision-making in and around the paint, like we talked about after the game, I didn't like that at all. So yeah, I think we gotta work a little harder to get our shots, and we didn't really do that."
A pretty direct answer from Finchy, and the numbers back him up. The Timberwolves committed 25 turnovers that led to 35 Denver points. Julius Randle led the way with 27 points and Ayo Dosunmu added 18, but good individual performances don't mean much when your offense is caving in on itself structurally.
Apr 27, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) controls the ball under pressure from Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson (23) as center Nikola Jokic (15) defends in the fourth quarter during game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesThe Injury Situation Makes Everything Harder
To be fair to Minnesota, they're playing shorthanded in a way that would test any team's offensive cohesion. Edwards is suffering from a hyperextended knee and bone bruise and is considered week-to-week. DiVincenzo tore his Achilles in Game 4, and is done for the season. Two starters, gone, against a Denver team playing for its life.
Spacing is hard enough in the playoffs, and it gets significantly harder when you're missing the guy defenses have to account for most. Without Edwards drawing attention and DiVincenzo stretching the floor, Denver can pack the paint more frequently and make life miserable for Minnesota's decision-makers.
The breakdowns Finch described aren't excused by the injuries, but they're at least partially explained by them. These are the areas Minnesota will have to be intentional about cleaning things up on Thursday.
Minnesota Needs To Close It Out In Game 6
The Timberwolves still control their own destiny. Game 6 is on their home turf, and will be played on the classic throwback court once again. The crowd will no doubt be deafening, and that's certainly a factor for playoff basketball.
Denver is under-matched from an athleticism standpoint even without Donte and Ant, but they believe in their ability to win. It's well-documented that these are two fierce rivals, and no one is going down without a fight.
Finch knows what needs to get fixed. The spacing, the paint decision-making, the shot creation. These are execution problems, and execution problems can get corrected between games. Minnesota has had time to stew on this, and Thursday night at home is their chance to respond and close it out.
The Nuggets have clawed back from 3-1 deficits before in the Jokic era. The Wolves know what's at stake, and they know that winning Thursday is their best shot of advancing on to the second round.