The Target Center crowd witnessed nothing less than drama on Monday night. But it wasn’t the kind that would entertain them. In fact, the third quarter turned into a nightmare when Rudy Gobert took one for the team. Ejected! The Minnesota fans were high in energy following the incident, but the players on the court lacked it. The final nail in the coffin came when the Pacers snatched a 132-130 win with a three-pointer in the final seconds of overtime. Both shocks on one night were painful, leading head coach Chris Finch to make his demands clear.

When Finch joined the reporters in the post-game press conference, he was asked about the overall energy on the court after the French center’s ejection. Finch answered without hesitation, “Our energy, and our decision-making was poor.” He explained that giving a good offensive team the opportunity would make them gain confidence. That’s exactly what the T’Wolves allowed the Pacers to do. The second quarter was clear evidence of that.

“It’s already a really good offensive team, and they get the confidence to kind of get it all cranked up. And that’s when you see the shots go in. I mean, there were some big-time shot-making by them, but they felt that comfort all pretty much all game,” Finch added. According to the 55-year-old, what the Minnesota side had to focus on was the energy. “We needed to start with that energy… We didn’t have any energy, we didn’t have enough physicality, we didn’t have enough force in the first half, and, so we had to find it somewhere.”

Chris Finch’s demand is simple. The team is currently the seventh seed in the West. But one slip could turn their postseason hopes into a distant dream. So, the last thing they can afford is a lack of energy on the court. Besides that, the coach also shared his thoughts on Gobert’s ejection.

Chris Finch shares his thoughts on Rudy Gobert’s ejection

After halftime, the game got a little more intense. The scenario changed drastically when the Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard elbowed Conley while heading to the rim. Rudy Gobert noticed this and decided to give the Indiana guard a taste of his own medicine. But little did he know it would backfire. The game official called for a replay review, which revealed that both players were at fault.

With just under 8 minutes left in the quarter, the 7-foot center was handed a flagrant 2 foul, while Nembhard received his second technical foul of the night for throwing the ball at Rudy right after the incident. As a result, both were ejected from the game.

Finch, who was visibly frustrated on the sidelines after the decision was made, didn’t feel it was fair. “I thought it was a tough decision to throw Rudy out,” he confessed in the presser. He thought “It was worthy of a two for sure. So, but it is what it is.”

Do you agree with Chris Finch that the ejection was a bit harsh on Rudy Gobert, or do you believe it was a fair decision? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!