Chris Finch on Wemby:
“He had a lot of blocks, he had a couple of uncalled goaltendings too. Those are valuable points we’d like to have back”
Getty
Victor Wembanyama blocks Terrence Shannon Jr. during an NBA playoff game.
On Monday night at the Frost Bank Center, the Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
It was a total team effort by the Timberwolves, with six players scoring in double figures in their 104-102 win. Julius Randle led the way with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Anthony Edwards scored 18 points off the bench in his first game back from injury.
On the other hand, Victor Wembanyama had a tough outing on the offensive end but made playoff history with his defense. Wembanyama finished with 11 points, 15 rebounds and 12 blocks.
The Spurs superstar shot 29.4% from the field but recorded the most blocks in a postseason game in NBA history.
GettyHead coach Chris Finch of the Minnesota Timberwolves questions a call with Jacyn Goble #68 as his team plays the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026 in Denver, Colorado.
Speaking to reporters in his postgame media availability, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was asked about Victor Wembanyama’s 12-block performance. Finch was impressed with Wemby, but he also took a subtle shot at referees for not calling a few goaltending violations.
“He had a lot of blocks,” Finch said. “He had a couple of uncalled goaltendings, too. Those are valuable points we’d like to have back.”
Chris Finch on Wemby:
“He had a lot of blocks, he had a couple of uncalled goaltendings too. Those are valuable points we’d like to have back”
The Timberwolves took control midway through the fourth quarter before the Spurs’ late rally fell short.
Julian Champagnie had a wide-open 3-point shot with 1.2 seconds remaining, but it was wide left and hit the rim at the buzzer. He was quickly consoled by his teammates, including Wembanyama, who blamed himself for their loss.
Champagnie seemingly wasn’t bothered by his miss based on his postgame comments.
“It felt pretty solid,” Champagnie said, via Tom Orsborn of San Antonio Express-News. “Yeah, that’s all I got for you. Felt pretty solid. Missed a shot. Going to the next (game).”
Game 2 is scheduled for May 6 back at the Frost Bank Center.
GettyVictor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates as he leaves the court following the victory against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game Five of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Frost Bank Center on April 28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
After a rough night on offense, Victor Wembanyama put the blame on himself for not making enough shots in Game 1. He also pointed out pacing being a problem on Monday night, which made him exhausted late in the fourth quarter.
“I feel like I had to use my energy,” Wembanyama said, via Sporty TV. “Obviously, I used a lot of it on one side of the court. On the other side, offensively, I used too much energy on things that didn’t really help our team. So, that’s on me. There was some good and some bad.
He added, “It’s a lot on me because my game wasn’t feeling good. If I had been better, if the offensive leaders on our team would have been better, it would have been different. So, basically, if everything was different, it would have been different.”
Wemby is also still confident about the Spurs’ chances of bouncing back in Game 2.
Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He's currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David
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