After losing the first two West Finals games in OKC, Chris Finch knew he needed to rethink his strategy to bounce back in this series. Another loss would put Anthony Edwards and Co. in a hole they might be unable to get out of. So, when Timberwolves took the floor for tonight’s Game 3, the head coach immediately brought out his wildcard – Terrence Shannon Jr.

At first, everyone was a bit confused. Why play an inexperienced rookie in arguably the most important game in franchise history? But within minutes of checking in, Terrence proved his worth. He dropped 15 points in just thirteen minutes on 5 of 8 shooting, giving the Wolves a massive boost. Their lead quickly became out of reach for the Thunder, guaranteeing the Minnesota team’s first win of the series.

Following the blowout victory, Finch revealed why he decided to give Shannon a chance tonight, “I mean it was awesome. You know I’ve been wrestling with getting another guy in the rotation. We played Jaylen a little bit the other day. I just, a guy who can stretch the floor in transition. He’s a downhill player. Got a good body, you know physicality. We needed some physicality out there, just kind of a different type of player than we have in other positions. So, we kind of knew coming into the game we were gonna get to him.”

Well, the head coach’s risk paid off as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. were clearly caught off guard by Shannon’s scoring ability.

Now that the rookie has ended a major headache for Finch by becoming the additional guy for his rotation, he plans on utilizing Terrence’s talent more often in this series, “You’re definitely gonna see him more. First thing to be good in this league, you gotta keep doing what you’ve already just done. So, we just wanna see more of the same. But we know either way, whether the shots go in or he scores or doesn’t score, he’s gonna bring energy and competitiveness. That’s what we really love about him.”

Looks like the rookie is not afraid of his number being called either.

Terrence Shannon Jr. claims Game 3 was a “normal feeling” as Anthony Edwards credits him for Wolves’ turnaround

Prior to tonight, Shannon had barely gotten any valuable minutes in these playoffs. The most he had played in a game was seven minutes against the Lakers in the first round. Unless you are a superstar prospect like Victor Wembanyama or Chet Holmgren, it’s difficult to get meaningful playoff minutes as a rookie. But when TSJ’s number was called by Finch, he was ready for the big stage.

“Micah told me before the game, be ready to start the second quarter. It was just a normal feeling because I always work, I always stay ready and just be the best teammate I can be during the meantime.” The rookie said postgame, revealing his calm demeanor despite playing the biggest game of his young career.

Of course, even Terrence’s teammates were impressed by his heroic performance, as Anthony Edwards deemed him the reason for their epic turnaround, “TJ came in and brought ultimate energy man. We can’t ask for nothing more. He came in and made all the right plays and attacked the basket with aggression. And he came up big for us tonight.”

So, expect to see more of the rookie in this series. However, now that the surprise element is gone, Terrence will need to bring his A game every night because Thunder will surely be more prepared to face him going forward. Do you think Finch’s TSJ decision will help the Wolves advance to the NBA Finals?