Chris Finch reveals why Timberwolves-Pistons altercation was no surprise

When the officials finally restored order, the damage was done. Reid and DiVincenzo of the Timberwolves, along with assistant coach Pablo Prigioni, were ejected. For the Pistons, Holland, Marcus Sasser, Isaiah Stewart, and head coach JB Bickerstaff were also sent to the locker rooms.

Finch expressed confusion over Prigioni’s ejection, explaining that from his understanding, his assistant coach had been trying to talk to a referee about a Pistons player “who is prone to this situation.” He noted, “Then JB had an issue with it, they exchanged words, and it just kept escalating. I didn’t see anything worthy of an ejection that Pablo did.”

Despite the chaos, the Wolves used the moment as a rallying point. “It was a pressure release,” Finch said, adding that it ultimately re-energized his group, especially given how physical the game had been. “It’s unfortunate, but both teams settled down and tried to play basketball after that,” Finch expressed.

Following the ejections, the Timberwolves took control for the rest of the game, outscoring the shorthanded Pistons 93-65 to secure a 123-104 win.

Anthony Edwards gave his thoughts on the incident when asked about possible suspensions for the ejected players.

“I don’t think they should miss games for that,” Edwards said. “Maybe just some money.”

Mike Conley eased the tense moment with a joke, saying, “I plead the fifth,” when asked about the fight, before explaining how he helped break up the scuffle.

“At that point, I was just trying to grab guys off them,” Conley explained. “It was like one of them football piles and you don’t know what’s going on.”

Conley, a calming presence and leader on and off the court for Minnesota, emphasized that while unfortunate, such confrontations are part of the competitive nature of the sport.

“It’s part of the game,” Conley said. “It’s an emotional part, it happens, and I’m happy with the way we responded.”

As the NBA office reviews the footage and considers fines and suspensions, one thing is clear: what began as a physical game quickly spiraled into chaos. While the Timberwolves secured the win, the incident itself will likely remain one of the wildest moments of the season, leaving a lasting impression on both teams moving forward.