Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch went off on the Oklahoma City Thunder for how they play, as their style commits a lot of fouls while their star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets calls in his favor for minimal contact. He slammed this in the post-game press conference after their 131-128 OT win.
“It’s so frustrating to play this team because they foul a ton. They really do. They foul, they foul all the time. And then you can’t really touch Shai. It’s a very frustrating thing, and it takes a lot of mental toughness to play through it.”
Chris Finch talking about OKC after the game 😳 https://t.co/ZjiBzVGDlA
— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) February 25, 2025
In this game, the Timberwolves were the ones who shot more free throws, going to the line 39 times compared to OKC’s 29 times. However, Shai individually shot 17 free throws on the night with Finch voicing a well-known complaint about Shai’s play style.
Shai is the second-leading free throw attempted in the league this season, going to the line 8.9 times per game. Giannis Antetokounmpo is ahead of him but he has a more bruising downhill play style as a big man. Shai leads the league in free throw makes, so the 8.0 points per game he gets at the line greatly enhances his 32.4-point average this season.
Shai has been called a foul merchant by fans and analysts, even having to address these comments to the media before.
“None at all. In the past couple of years, I led the NBA in drives. So I think naturally, I’m going to get fouled on drives. Usually, you get fouled on drives more than jump shots. I think that’s just a natural part of the game… And then I learned a few tricks through the trade along my way. I’ve turned it into a skill a little bit. As far as what people say, I don’t really care. As long as it’s efficient offense and my team wins, I’ll get it done.”
This is a play style advantage that Shai is using right now and we’ve seen multiple players in history do it. James Harden and Trae Young have been heavily criticized for the same in recent years, with even stars like Dwyane Wade using a similar style in their prime.
The fouling by the other defenders on the team is another concern. Many fans have pointed out the physicality of defenders like Lu Dort in particular, with referees giving him a pass due to the physical nature of his game. The Thunder are matching Playoff physicality through the year and it’s clear coaches like Finch are done with it.
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