'Alarming': Timberwolves' Coach Casts Doubt on Wemby's Record-Breaking Blocks

SAN ANTONIO -- Victor Wembanyama blocked 12 shots in Game 1 of Spurs vs. Timberwolves, breaking the previous record for most in a playoff game since the 1973-74 season.

Least impressed by this accomplishment is Minnesota's coach Chris Finch, who claimed the day after the game that at least a third of these blocks were actually fouls or goaltends.

"Obviously he had a historic night, but when we looked at them, at least four of them were goaltending, maybe even a fifth," Finch told reporters Tuesday.

Finch did this probably not to throw stones at the 22-year-old record breaker, but in the hopes of seeing it called differently in the future.

When asked about Victor Wembanyama's 12 blocks in Game 1, Chris Finch said that at least 4 of the 12 were goaltends, and that it was "alarming" that Wembanyama wasn't called for a single goaltend.

"When we looked at em, at least four of them were goaltending... To me, it's a… pic.twitter.com/sW0xBTYpUB
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) May 5, 2026

"It's kind of, to me, it's a little alarming that none of them were called," Finch said. "Here's a generational shot blocker, 7-foot-6 who goes after everything, and there's like no heightened awareness that these blocks could be goaltends. I mean, the third possession of the game was a goaltend, and it was a clean, obvious one."

Wemby (12 blocks) set a NEW record tonight, for most blocks in an NBA playoff game since 1973–74 👏

Breaking a three-way tie at 10 blocks:

Hakeem Olajuwon (4/29/1990)
Mark Eaton (4/26/1985)
Andrew Bynum (4/29/2012)

NBA Playoffs presented by @Google pic.twitter.com/KmQ1leS63O
— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2026

A block becomes a goaltend if the ball has either touched the backboard or begun a downward trajectory, and Wembanyama's size, speed, and coordination allow him to reach attempts right before they hit the glass or the apex like nobody else can. Over the course of the season he's on the right side of the line for most of these, and many are on the line, and some go over. Based on the sheer number of shots he blocked in Game 1, there's a chance at least one should have been called back.

"He fouled me on the first one,"Rudy Gobert claimed when asked how many he thought were bad. "But if you look at them, probably three or four. I wish I had that type of treatment too."

Even if every single one turned out to be clean, Finch and the players would likely still feel that some of the blocks were illegal, both in the moment and upon further review.

It's in Finch's team's best interest to call attention to an issue that he believes is hurting their chances. Anything more than 0 goaltending calls would have been better for his group, and he insists it was a lot more than that.

"Let's just say there were four. That's eight points," Finch said. "The value of eight points in an NBA game is massive, right? 33% of his blocks were goaltending uncalled. And you know, if I were to give you a 33% raise, you'd like that, right? That's a huge number. "

The last line got a laugh out of the assembled press, although technically 12 is a 50% increase over 8 but that's pedantic to point out and neither here nor there.

Finch knows that he needs to make some adjustments because of the rim protection that Wembanyama brings. He clearly hopes the officials make an adjustment as well.

"We got to make some better decisions in how we attacked the rim," Finch said. "But you know, all credit to the guys, to not being discouraged, because we should have walked away with another eight points. And again, it's just alarming that not a single one of them was called."

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