Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch sharply criticized veteran crew chief Tony Brothers after Friday night’s 113-108 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs, calling the official “pretty unprofessional” during his post-game media session.
The dispute erupted midway through the fourth quarter at Frost Bank Center. Finch signaled for a timeout but said Brothers ignored the request for roughly three seconds before finally stopping play. “I wanted my three seconds back,” Finch told reporters. “He clearly heard me, looked my way, ignored me, then granted it. It almost cost us a turnover.”
According to courtside observers, Brothers walked toward Minnesota’s bench and exchanged heated words with Finch. Center Naz Reid stepped between the two, but the arguing continued when Finch approached Brothers moments later to ask where the ball would be inbounded. Bones Hyland and assistant coach Pablo Prigioni intervened to prevent the confrontation from escalating further, and both sides eventually cooled off.
Star guard Anthony Edwards, who stood next to Finch during the exchange, downplayed the incident. “Competition at the highest level,” Edwards said. “We want to win, Finchy wants to win. Tony Brothers is Tony Brothers. We all love him.”
The NBA has not announced whether Finch will face a fine for his remarks. Any disciplinary decision is expected before Game 4 on Sunday evening.
Friday’s comments marked the second consecutive night a coach publicly criticized officiating. On Thursday, Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick complained about the whistle in a loss to Oklahoma City, and guard Austin Reaves said referee John Goble was “disrespectful” during an on-court conversation.
Source: Hoops Rumors
