Key Rotation Decisions Loom for Chris Finch Ahead of Game 3

It's clear that Minnesota will need to make some key decisions ahead of Friday night's Game 3 at the Target Center.

May 6, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch looks over in the second half against the San Antonio Spurs during game two of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch told his team they got "punked" on Wednesday night after losing by 38 points in Game 2 against the Spurs. It's still encouraging that the series is tied 1-1 heading back to Minneapolis, but it's clear that Finch and his staff have some key decisions and adjustments to make before Friday night.

After netting 18 points on 8 of 13 shots in Game 1, bringing Anthony Edwards off the bench didn't yield the same results in Game 2. He still had 12 points on 5 of 13 shooting from the field in 24 minutes, but it was clear he didn't have the same positive impact on the game. He had four turnovers on Wednesday night, compared to just one in Game 1.

It was a bit of a surprise to see Edwards return from his knee injury so quickly in Game 1, so it seemed like a win just to have him on the floor. Both he and Minnesota need to decide if he's ready to return to the starting lineup. They desperately need some normalcy back in the rotation.

"That's not up to me... Whatever's required," Edwards responded when asked about taking on more minutes after Game 2.

Minnesota has started Mike Conley and Terrence Shannon Jr. in the backcourt for each of their last three games. If Edwards returns to the starting lineup, that would likely bump Shannon back down to the bench.

Shannon has averaged 17.3 points per game in his three starts this postseason, but he played just 21 total minutes in two games of the first five games of the Nuggets series. If Finch shifts the rotation again, deciding where Shannon fits in is going to be a key question.

If Edwards and Shannon switch roles, Minnesota still needs to decide how it wants to deploy Ayo Dosunmu, who returned in Game 2 after missing its previous two games with a right calf injury. He was scoreless in 10 minutes before leaving the game with right heel pain, according to the team.

Dosunmu looked like a breakout star in Game 4 of the Nuggets series with 43 points off the bench. When Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo went down in that game, Dosunmu appeared to be the one they'd look at to elevate their game. Fast forward, he didn't look healthy in Game 2 against the Spurs, and Minnesota needs to decide how it wants to approach his injury.

Teams tend to shorten their rotations in the playoffs, and injuries have caused the Wolves to expand theirs. Figuring out where the peices fit into the puzzle will be Finch and the coaching staff's biggest task ahead of a pivotal Game 3 on Friday night at the Target Center.