Chris Finch became the biggest story of the night early in the blockbuster matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder with his ejection.
However, it looks like the Timberwolves used that to fuel the flame to get the 112-107 win. That was only the Thunder's third loss of the season, putting the Timberwolves in a special group alongside the Portland Trail Blazers and the San Antonio Spurs.
Finch's ejection was what the Timberwolves needed
The Timberwolves have had a decent season so far, but this win over the Thunder has to be their biggest of the season. Beating the defending champions is always a big achievement, but doing it without the head coach for most of the game is impressive.
Finch made sure to voice out his frustrations at the referee after a blown call early in the first quarter. By that time, the Thunder led 15-11, but the Timberwolves fed off of Finch's energy to win the game.
More: Timberwolves' Chris Finch nearly lost his mind after ejection
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards had a solid performance, getting 26 points and 12 rebounds to spearhead his team to victory. After the game, Edwards made sure to credit Finch for spurring the Timberwolves on to get the victory.
"We fed off Finchy's energy. That's all it was. Was that the first time you got thrown out, Finchy? Hell yeah," Edwards said in the dugout immediately after the win.
Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a strong performance of 36 points, five rebounds, and seven assists, but that was not enough to overcome the surging Timberwolves.
This could be a landmark moment for the Timberwolves' season, as they want to keep getting big wins like that. Finch's passion for his team was evident, and the players responded in kind.
For the Thunder, this is a small stumble, but it can be a bit worrying to suffer two losses in a week. They are still the NBA's best team, but these stumbles are showing some cracks. They will likely bounce back strong, but teams are starting to figure them out.