Minnesota Timberwolves face a challenging Game 6 after a blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Coach Chris Finch must consider all options as the team fights for survival in the playoffs.
As frustrating as Minnesota’s Game 5 loss was Tuesday in San Antonio, it also should be freeing for Wolves coach Chris Finch and his staff.
A second Spurs blowout in a four-game span solidfies what many believed heading into this series — Minnesota is not as good as San Antonio. At least not under these circumstances, with Anthony Edwards playing at far less than 100% and Donte DiVincenzo out for the remainder of the playoffs and beyond.
The Wolves’ wins in this series came at the horn of Game 1 and in a Game 4 in which Victor Wembanyama was ejected in the second quarter.
In the aggregate, San Antonio has out-scored Minnesota by 67 points in this series. Game 2 was Minnesota’s largest blowout defeat in franchise playoff victory, and Game 5 wasn’t far behind.
Yet, somehow, the Wolves aren’t dead yet. There will be a Game 6 at 8:30 p.m. CDT on Friday in Minneapolis. Minnesota still stands just two wins away from a third straight Western Conference Finals.
But it doesn’t feel as though the Wolves will get there with the status quo. If there is a formula for victory with the current rotations and lineups, it’s apparently too difficult to carryout over the course of multiple games. But there is power in knowledge.
Finch and his staff are armed with a growing data set that suggests Minnesota’s modus operandi doesn’t work and empowers the Wolves to make a change or five.
Will the coaching staff flip any switches? Potentially. This is the same coach that benched D’Angelo Russell at the end of an elimination game before the enitre NBA uncovered just how wise of a decision that was.
Perhaps there is no magic level to pull here. Without DiVincenzo, roster options are more limited. Anyone Finch could turn to has his own limiations, whether that be Kyle Anderson, Bones Hyland or Jaylen Clark.
The Timberwolves suffered a blowout loss to the Spurs, marking their second such defeat in the series.
The Timberwolves are struggling due to Anthony Edwards not being at full strength and Donte DiVincenzo being out for the playoffs.
Game 6 is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CDT on Friday in Minneapolis.
The Timberwolves need to explore all strategies and adjustments to overcome their challenges and secure a win in Game 6.
Hardik Pandya's future with the Mumbai Indians is uncertain as he is linked to potential trades to LSG, KKR, or CSK. His recent performance and social media activity have fueled speculation about his departure.
Max Verstappen's Nurburgring 24 Hours bid draws envy from F1 peers.
Brad Keselowski defies odds, races at Dover with a broken leg.
West Ham United exploring legal action against the Premier League over officiating issues.
El Gran Wyoming analiza el gesto de Lamine Yamal con la bandera de Palestina en 'El Intermedio'.
Excitement builds as MS Dhoni is likely to travel with CSK for their must-win IPL 2026 clash against LSG.
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
The move could be an adjustment to the size of roles within the current rotation, or even a shift in the starting lineup. Minnesota cannot currently score with Victor Wembanyama on the floor. One way in which the Wolves have had at least marginal success on that end of the floor in this series has been to go smaller and force the Frenchman to guard outside the arc.
That could mean taking Rudy Gobert off the floor more often, though Finch contends Gobert is still doing his job well on the other end. He also defended the defensive play of Julius Randle, noting he doesn’t believe the forward is to blame for the team’s inability to get stops for stretches in Tuesday’s defeat.
But even if any certain individual isn’t to blame for the team’s shortcomings — a likely fair assessment — perhaps a philisophical switch could be prudent, if for no other reason than to try to force the Spurs to adjust.
Minnesota can go with more skilled lineups that are smaller in terms of height, though not necessarily length. The Wolves can trot out a five-man lineup of Ayo Dosunmu, Anthony Edwards, Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid, for example, which could space out Wembanyama and Co. and surround Edwards with players who are more proficient in playing off the catch should the Spurs continue to double Minnesota’s best player the moment he crosses mid court.
Would that unit be able to secure a single stop? Maybe not. Going small for longer stretches would also equal effectively benching two of Minnesota’s three highest-paid players. That’s not ideal, but neither is the Timberwolves’ current predicament in this series.
The best answer for Minnesota may well be what it’s been putting forth over the first five games of this series. But if that’s not a winning solution, making a change for the sake of change itself could be worth the shot in the dark with the season on the line.
Time is suddenly running low on the Timberwolves’ 2025-26 campaign. Down to their last dollar, there’d be no shame in switching slot machines to pull a different arm in hopes of striking triple 7s.