Getting off to a rough start in a playoff series can cause a head coach to do things outside the norm. That’s doubly true the further a team advances. With the NBA conference finals taking place and just four teams remaining, two teams found themselves down 2-0 in their series. The Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks both faced a must-win Game 3 to allow their NBA Finals hopes to remain alive. Both earned victories, and their head coaches, Chris Finch and Tom Thibodeau, went outside their comfort zone and expanded their playoff rotations for the Timberwolves and Knicks.
Finch And Thibodeau Both Extend Rotations In Game 3 Wins
Terrence Shannon Jr. Sees First Major Postseason Minutes
Going on the road for the first two games against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Timberwolves lost by a combined 41 points. Heading back to Minnesota, it was imperative that Chris Finch’s squad didn’t fall behind 3-0 in the series.
While the Thunder lost three games in the previous round, none were in blowout fashion. It was a shocking performance by both Minnesota and OKC in Game 3. The Timberwolves jumped ahead by 20 after 12 minutes and ended up winning by a whopping 42 points.
All postseason, Finch has only went eight deep with his rotation. The three reserve pieces that he counted on were Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The Timberwolves dusted another player off the bench and saw him excel in Game 3.
That player was Terrence Shannon Jr., the 27th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Entering Game 3, the 24-year-old had really just seen garbage time in the postseason. He appeared in six games for a total of 20 minutes scoring six points.
Finch inserted Shannon Jr. in during the second quarter. While he played just four minutes of the second stanza, he scored nine points on 3-5 from the field and 3-3 from the foul line. The team was a +6 with him on the court during that time. He scored another six points in seven minutes of the fourth quarter when the game was out of hand.
It is widely expected that Shannon Jr. sees the court on Monday as the Timberwolves look to even the series.
Thibs Goes 9 Deep In Game 3 Win
While Thibodeau started the playoffs playing nine guys, Landry Shamet exited the rotation after a few games. Cameron Payne was playing, but not performing well and seeing very little time (didn’t play in Game 3).
With the Knicks losing the first two at home against the Indiana Pacers, winning on the road for Game 3 was a must. Entering the game, the discourse around the Knicks was the starting lineup change. Mitchell Robinson would be entering the starting five, and Josh Hart would be moved to the bench.
Not only did Hart come off the bench, but Thibodeau also allowed a few others to see action. Delon Wright saw his first meaningful minutes of the postseason. Shamet found his way back into the rotation. The Knicks went nine deep and actually started the fourth quarter (down 10) with Wright and Shamet on the floor.
While neither made a huge statistical impact, Shamet was a +11 in his 12 minutes, and Wright was a +2 in 13 minutes. The Pacers utilize a lot of players, so Thibodeau may again look to play more off the bench on Tuesday as the Knicks try to break even with Indiana.
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