Chris Finch blasts veteran referee Tony Brothers after Game 3 loss
chris-finch-blasts-referee-tony-brothers-after-game-3-loss
Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch sharply criticized longtime NBA referee Tony Brothers after a 115-108 Game 3 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs, labeling the official’s conduct “completely unprofessional.”
The confrontation began with 5:12 left in the fourth quarter, when Finch tried to call a timeout during a broken offensive possession. According to the coach, Brothers saw the request and ignored it.
“I want my three seconds back,” Finch told reporters. “He clearly heard me call a timeout — almost cost us a turnover.”
After Finch’s outburst, Brothers walked toward the Timberwolves’ bench, prompting players and staff to intervene before the exchange escalated. A few minutes later, Finch said he approached the official again to clarify the location of an inbound pass and received another heated response. “He lost it,” the coach recalled.
Star guard Anthony Edwards downplayed the incident. “Competition at the highest level,” Edwards said. “We want to win. Finchy wanna win. Tony Brothers is Tony Brothers.”
The Timberwolves, who missed their first 12 field-goal attempts and fell behind early, trimmed the deficit late but could not overtake San Antonio as rookie center Victor Wembanyama dominated the closing minutes. The Spurs now hold a 2-1 advantage, seizing home-court edge heading into Game 4 on Sunday.
Source: Hoops Wire
