Wolves’ Finch expresses frustration over officiating: ‘Perhaps we should consider flopping’
DENVER — During his pregame media session on Monday night, Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch expressed his dissatisfaction regarding Jamal Murray’s 16 free throws in the Denver Nuggets’ Game 1 victory.
“Perhaps we need to start flopping as well,” Finch remarked.
In a somewhat indirect response, Finch highlighted what he perceives as a widespread issue in the league, where scorers tend to exaggerate contact while driving to the basket and flailing to elicit a foul call.
He then contrasted this with his top two scorers, Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards, who together managed only nine free throws in the Game 1 defeat. The Nuggets collectively shot 33 free throws, while the Timberwolves had 19.
“Julius is not a flopper,” Finch stated. “Ant is not a flopper. They are aggressive drivers. They navigate through the initial contact. Often, if you were to fall away, you would receive a foul. However, if you continue your drive, [referees] adopt a play-on approach.”
Nuggets coach David Adelman reacted strongly to the implication that Murray benefited from lenient officiating in the series opener, pointing out that four of Murray’s 16 free throws resulted from a flagrant foul on a 3-pointer and a technical foul.
“So it was 12 [free throws],” Adelman clarified. “And he was fouled. It’s the playoffs. Everyone engages in discussions after games. But let’s accurately account for the 16 free throws and what transpired. This wasn’t a situation where he was casually walking to the line. He was contending with significant physicality. It’s characteristic of what [the Timberwolves] do. They push the boundaries.”
Finch conceded that “some of them were fouls” but noted that upon review, “they weren’t all fouls.”
“The league is currently in a state where drawing contact and falling away earns you a reward,” Finch explained. “Players who attempt to power through contact, maintaining their drive after the first level of contact, often do not receive the same recognition. Fouls are acknowledged further up the court rather than in the paint.”
The Timberwolves previously eliminated the Nuggets in a competitive seven-game series during the 2024 playoffs, which ignited what has developed into one of the NBA’s notable rivalries. This rivalry is being reignited in the first round of the 2026 playoffs, accompanied by a back-and-forth exchange between the two head coaches ahead of Game 2.
“I do believe that sometimes when you review the film, you can see, ‘Yes, that player was fouled,'” Adelman commented. “There are occasions, trust me, when we face Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] or another player who draws a lot of free throws, and I don’t revisit clips thinking, ‘I can’t believe he received all those calls.’ Instead, I question: ‘Why are we committing so many fouls?'”
