After the Timberwolves got blown out at home on Tuesday, Chris Finch was clearly frustrated by the team’s performance. “If I gotta talk to guys about having the right energy coming into opening second round game, then you know we’re not on the same page,” he told the media. So, everyone expected Anthony Edwards and Co. to come out far more aggressive for last night’s Game 2. And that’s exactly what they did!

Ending the head coach’s disappointment, the Timberwolves dominated the Warriors from the get-go and blew them out by 24 points to level the series. But what caused this massive shift in energy in just 48 hours? Turns out, a raging locker room rant by Finch did the trick, as Julius Randle revealed post-game.

“Yeah, he cussed us out pretty well. Yeah, he was unhappy, and you know, he let us know he was unhappy, and we felt that. But we were pretty motivated as a team,” Randle shared. Sometimes, it’s the tough love that gets the job done. So, that’s what Finch did to light a fire in his team ahead of Game 2. Of course, Randle has firsthand experience of Finch’s unique coaching style.

“The thing I like about Finch is, personally for myself, he can coach me hard. I might not like it in the moment or whatever it is, but I love, you know that he can challenge me like that,” he elaborated. Although Finch’s strict coaching could spark tension with players, it eventually ends up helping their performance on the court. So, Julius Randle has no issue with Finch’s methods.

He continued, “The other day we were in film room, he challenged me multiple times on things that he saw from an effort standpoint. So, I want to make a point to come out and prove and play with high amount of energy, high amount of effort and you know respond to that challenge. Not really necessarily take it personal.”

The head coach’s constant challenge proved highly beneficial for Julius Randle, as he dropped a 24-point double-double in last night’s blowout win. Three more rebounds and it would have been a triple-double. Of course, the other star who has been receiving tough love from Finch is Anthony Edwards. And it might have helped him play through a major injury scare last night.

Timberwolves teammates deem Anthony Edwards “Superman” highlighting his toughness after Game 2 injury scare

Following Tuesday’s loss, the sword also fell on Edwards as Finch publicly called him out for his lack of energy, “I mean you’re the leader of the team and you’ve gotta come out and set the tone. If your shot’s not going, like you still have to carry the energy you know.” That, along with the embarrassment of losing at home, lit a fire in the young forward to come out with the right energy in Game 2. But concerns grew when Edwards was forced to leave the floor in the second quarter due to a sprained left ankle. After Trayce Jackson-Davis stepped on Ant’s ankle while contesting his shot, it looked like he would not be able to return for the rest of the game.

But Edwards surprised everyone by making a comeback in the second half, playing like he never got hurt. He dropped 20 points and nine rebounds. When his teammates Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jaden McDaniels were asked if they thought he would return, they had an unusual response. Walker said, “You never really know,” and Jaden quickly followed with, “Yeah. Superman for real.”

Then, NAW highlighted Ant-Man’s toughness, “You never know which one is like really bad. Especially when you don’t get to see them, but he always finds a way. One thing about Ant, he’s not gonna sit out. He’s gotta be damn near dead.” Sure enough, Jaden shared a similar sentiment: “Yeah, I seen it before like he gotta have his leg chopped off or some s—.” Well, that’s the killer mindset that makes Edwards such a great player!

Now, he has only one focus in mind with the series heading to the Bay Area: “Go out there and try to win. That’s the only mentality, that’s all I know.” Looks like the Wolves have the perfect leadership required to make a deep playoff run, with a superstar who will never give up and a head coach who will do everything to keep the players motivated. Do you think they can go all the way?