Chris Finch sounded off about how Minnesota has to leverage their strengths in this first-round series with Denver.
This isn't unfamiliar territory for the Minnesota Timberwolves. They've been here before, and in some ways that's the whole point. For the third time in four years, Minnesota faces the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs. Denver earned the third seed at 54-28 and has home-court advantage when Game 1 tips off Saturday at Ball Arena.
The Wolves come in as the sixth seed at 49-33, and like Denver, they have most of their core from the last several seasons intact. That's going to be a strength this team needs to lean into in the upcoming series.
Chris Finch has talked about continuity all season. Now, with the series days away, a reporter asked if this is the moment where all of that has to show up. Finch didn't hesitate.
"Yeah, absolutely," Finch said. "I've said it all year. We know the team that we can be and who we have been. It's about whether we can maintain that." Minnesota knows who they are. The question is whether they show up as that team when it matters most.
Mar 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) controls the ball in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesWhat the Wolves Are Walking Into
"You don't ever want to be a 'flip the switch' team, but we do have a switch to flip, and we've gotta flip it now. And when we do that, everybody kind of becomes the best version of themselves, and that brings out that continuity and that connection that we need."
The Nuggets are a brutal first-round draw. Nikola Jokic averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists this season, becoming the first player in NBA history to lead the league in all three categories in the same year.
In four games against Minnesota specifically, he averaged 35.8 points, 15 rebounds, and 11.3 assists while shooting 65.3% from the field. Denver won the season series 3-1 and posted the best offensive rating in the league at 122.6, with Jamal Murray making his first All-Star team after career highs across the board.
But the Wolves have beaten this group before. They completed the biggest Game 7 comeback in NBA history to eliminate Denver two years ago, and they know what it takes to close out this team in a series.
Continuity Is the Answer
Against a player like Jokic, who reads defenses faster than most teams can set them, everyone on the floor has to be operating from the same instincts at the same time. Rotations have to be automatic and communication instant, because there's no room for anyone to be half a step slow processing what the defense needs.
That's what continuity actually buys you, and two straight conference finals runs give this group something no scouting report can replicate. Anthony Edwards missed 11 of the final 14 regular season games with knee maintenance, and Jaden McDaniels has dealt with his own knee issue down the stretch.
Health is worth watching closely. But if this group is whole and locked in, they've already proven they can beat anyone in seven games, and that matters a lot heading into Saturday.