NBA referee Tony Brothers had to be restrained after confronting Timberwolves' Chris Finch
Atlantic76ersCelticsKnicksNetsRaptorsCentralBucksBullsCavaliersPacersPistonsSoutheastHawksHeatHornetsMagicWizardsSouthwestGrizzliesMavericksPelicansRocketsSpursNorthwestJazzNuggetsThunderTimberwolvesTrail BlazersPacificClippersKingsLakersSunsWarriorsScores & ScheduleStandingsThe Bounce NewsletterNBA DraftPodcastsFantasyNBA OddsNBA PicksMeet KAT's Biggest FanLottery Reform Is OverdueWhat Makes Up Championship DNA?Latest Mock DraftNBA Playoffs Timberwolves coach Chris Finch called Tony Brothers' behavior "pretty unprofessional." Joe Murphy / NBAE via Getty Images Share article2Friday’s Game 3 between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves was a physical battle, and emotions ran high — including from the designated mediator in chief, Tony Brothers. With just over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the veteran NBA official got into an argument with Timberwolves coach Chris Finch that nearly escalated into an altercation before Brothers was held back by Wolves staffers. With the Timberwolves trailing by 2 points, Finch tried to call a timeout and grew incensed when Brothers did not immediately grant it. As Finch’s frustration grew, Brothers retaliated with equal venom. During the timeout, the two continued a spirited conversation and had to be separated. Brothers, in his 32nd NBA season officiating, could even be seen stepping aggressively toward Finch before being restrained. “Pretty unprofessional, huh,” Finch said in his postgame news conference while laughing. Tony Brothers had to be HELD BACK against Chris Finch 👀 pic.twitter.com/GgeC0nNQGV — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 9, 2026 “Yeah, I wanted a timeout,” Finch continued. “I had called it three seconds earlier, and I wanted the timeout, and I said I want my three seconds back. Because he clearly heard me. He flipped my way, ignored me, went on with the play and almost caused us a turnover. And then, he lost it. Then, I asked him where we were taking the ball in, and he was screaming at me for that.” Entering this season, his 32nd in the NBA, Brothers had refereed 1,804 regular-season games and 216 playoff games, including 19 NBA Finals games. He was voted the best referee by players in The Athletic’s 2023 anonymous player poll, receiving 28.8 percent of the votes. “He always talks s— to us,” one player said then. “He interacts with us instead of taking everything personally. He’d be like, ‘Sit your ass down, you know you fouled him.’” Prime analyst Blake Griffin sharply criticized Brothers’ conduct. “I’ve never seen an official go at a coach like that,” Griffin said on Prime’s “NBA Nightcap.” “And then to go at it again? To be honest, I thought Tony was out of line.” The Spurs pulled away for a 115-108 victory at Target Center in Minneapolis to take a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference semifinals. At the point of the incident, Minnesota trailed 102-100. Over the final five minutes, San Antonio closed the game on a 13-8 run. “It’s competition at the highest level,” Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards said. “We want to win. Finchy want to win. Tony Brothers is Tony Brothers. We all love him, so it’s all good.” — Jon Krawczynski contributed to this story Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports termsالمصدر: The Athletic | Source: The Athletic
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