Warriors, Timberwolves go back and forth litigating Game 1 non-calls originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors have issues with the officiating. The Minnesota Timberwolves have issues with the officiating. Everyone has issues with the officiating.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday afternoon after Timberwolves practice at Target Center, Minnesota coach Chris Finch discussed the Warriors fouling Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in Game 1 on Tuesday night and revealed he plans to send clips of the non-calls to the NBA.
“On defensive rebounds they do a lot of fouling, holding, shoving, pushing and tackling Rudy,” Finch said of the Warriors’ physicality. “That’s clear. We’ll send a bunch of those clips into the league.
“In fact, I’m not sure I know another player in the league with Rudy’s pedigree that is allowed to be physically beaten on the way he is. And so we’ve got to address that one way or another.”
Finch pointed to one play involving Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski and alluded to the Timberwolves upping the physicality from here on out.
“There was a play last night where Podziemski clearly grabbed him and he sheds Podziemski and he gets the foul,” Finch explained. “So we’ll certainly try and take justice into our own hands whenever we can, I think it’s the nature of a physical sport. But by the same token, my god, you should see some of these clips.
“It’s like pulling guards and linemen out there taking shots at Rudy.”
Podziemski was asked about Finch’s comments after Warriors practice, and explained that Golden State’s potential uptick in physicality has carried over from its first-round series against the Houston Rockets.
“I mean, it’s the playoffs,” Podziemsk said. “What we just had to go through with the Rockets, I think has just kind of rubbed off on us. What they were doing is kind of similar to what we’re doing now. I don’t know if the Lakers were doing that to the Timberwolves in the first round, but this is the playoffs, you just try and do everything you can to win.
“I mean, Rudy’s probably a whole foot taller than me, so what do you want me to do?”
Warriors center Kevon Looney echoed a similar sentiment.
“Last series I feel like was way worse than anything I did last game,” Looney added. “It’s the playoffs. I’m gonna grab and push until they call it. Rudy’s a great rebounder. [Julius] Randle … Everybody got their own little tricks they do.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who also plans to submit clips of non-calls to the league, has his fair share of complaints and is not surprised by Finch’s comments.
“I was upset the first 10 minutes of the game,” Kerr said. “It was just like Houston all over again. They were bear-hugging Steph [Curry] and they could have called six fouls. But the league has established the physicality in the playoffs. Chris [Finch] talked about it last week, just the overall physicality. To me, it’s crazy out there, what’s happening. Everybody’s fouling each other.
“I just feel like they have a really hard job because playoff basketball, yes it’s physical and they’re going to allow more, but I think they could have called a foul [on] six, seven straight possessions with them guarding Steph. So I’ve got my complaints too, trust me. We all do, and this is how it works in the playoffs. We watch the tape and we see all the fouls on them that aren’t called. They watch the tape, they see the ones on us that weren’t called. It’s a physical game, it’s just going to be and both teams have to adjust. I’m getting ready to send my own clips into the league.”
As frustrating as the non-calls might be for both teams, Kerr believes the officiating has been nothing if not consistent.
“It has been consistent. They are consistently allowing teams to foul,” Kerr added.
It will be interesting to see if the officials adjust in Game 2 on Thursday at Target Center, but if the playoffs this season have shown us anything, it’s that the refs are taking a more hands-off approach.
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Warriors, Timberwolves go back and forth litigating Game 1 non-calls
The Warriors have issues with the officiating. The Minnesota Timberwolves have issues with the officiating. Everyone has issues with the officiating.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday afternoon after Timberwolves practice at Target Center, Minnesota coach Chris Finch discussed the Warriors fouling Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in Game 1 on Tuesday night and revealed he plans to send clips of the non-calls to the NBA.
SIGN UP HERE “On defensive rebounds they do a lot of fouling, holding, shoving, pushing and tackling Rudy,” Finch said of the Warriors’ physicality. “That’s clear. We’ll send a bunch of those clips into the league.
“In fact, I’m not sure I know another player in the league with Rudy’s pedigree that is allowed to be physically beaten on the way he is. And so we’ve got to address that one way or another.”
Finch pointed to one play involving Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski and alluded to the Timberwolves upping the physicality from here on out.
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“There was a play last night where Podziemski clearly grabbed him and he sheds Podziemski and he gets the foul,” Finch explained. “So we’ll certainly try and take justice into our own hands whenever we can, I think it’s the nature of a physical sport. But by the same token, my god, you should see some of these clips.
“It’s like pulling guards and linemen out there taking shots at Rudy.”
Podziemski was asked about Finch’s comments after Warriors practice, and explained that Golden State’s potential uptick in physicality has carried over from its first-round series against the Houston Rockets.
“I mean, it’s the playoffs,” Podziemsk said. “What we just had to go through with the Rockets, I think has just kind of rubbed off on us. What they were doing is kind of similar to what we’re doing now. I don’t know if the Lakers were doing that to the Timberwolves in the first round, but this is the playoffs, you just try and do everything you can to win.
“I mean, Rudy’s probably a whole foot taller than me, so what do you want me to do?”
Warriors center Kevon Looney echoed a similar sentiment.
“Last series I feel like was way worse than anything I did last game,” Looney added. “It’s the playoffs. I’m gonna grab and push until they call it. Rudy’s a great rebounder. [Julius] Randle … Everybody got their own little tricks they do.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who also plans to submit clips of non-calls to the league, has his fair share of complaints and is not surprised by Finch’s comments.
“I was upset the first 10 minutes of the game,” Kerr said. “It was just like Houston all over again. They were bear-hugging Steph [Curry] and they could have called six fouls. But the league has established the physicality in the playoffs. Chris [Finch] talked about it last week, just the overall physicality. To me, it’s crazy out there, what’s happening. Everybody’s fouling each other.
“I just feel like they have a really hard job because playoff basketball, yes it’s physical and they’re going to allow more, but I think they could have called a foul [on] six, seven straight possessions with them guarding Steph. So I’ve got my complaints too, trust me. We all do, and this is how it works in the playoffs. We watch the tape and we see all the fouls on them that aren’t called. They watch the tape, they see the ones on us that weren’t called. It’s a physical game, it’s just going to be and both teams have to adjust. I’m getting ready to send my own clips into the league.”
As frustrating as the non-calls might be for both teams, Kerr believes the officiating has been nothing if not consistent.
“It has been consistent. They are consistently allowing teams to foul,” Kerr added.
It will be interesting to see if the officials adjust in Game 2 on Thursday at Target Center, but if the playoffs this season have shown us anything, it’s that the refs are taking a more hands-off approach.
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