Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was beaten by San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the Western Conference playoffs, marking the second time in a week that his team has been beaten by a skilled big player, Victor Wembanyama, who led the Spurs to a 3-2 lead in the series. Despite a strong run from both teams, Spurs' "brutish littles" led the Wolves to a 14-2 burst that made it 61-61, but the Wolves struggled in the last six minutes of the third quarter. Despite this, Finch expressed frustration over his team's defensive play and inability to maintain their offensive rhythm. The Wolves had previously been praised for shifting Karl-Anthony Towns from center to power forward and using Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels as their main players.