Even though this was Chris Finch's fourth game coaching the Timberwolves, this was his first home game, and Sunday represented his first chance to see his new digs, like the practice facility and his office.
"Once I found and got in my office I kind of stayed in there," Finch said before Sunday's game vs. the Suns. "I was afraid of getting lost in the locker room here. One of the equipment guys came up to me and asked me if I was OK because I kept going in the same circle."
It can often feel like this Wolves season is going in a flat circle, one President Gersson Rosas tasked Finch with breaking and starting a new timeline for the franchise.
But that's not going to happen overnight, or even a few nights into Finch's tenure as the Wolves again lost, this time to Phoenix, 118-99 for their eighth loss in a row.
Devin Booker, who some fans have in a pipe dream teaming with his buddies Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell in Minnesota, has raised the price this season if he ever does want out of Phoenix. He torched the Wolves for 43 points, including 21 in a third quarter that gave the Suns their first double-digit lead of the night.
They extended that lead to 20 early in the fourth quarter and put away the Wolves (7-28), who fell to 0-4 under Finch. That stretch capped a 16-1 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters for Phoenix, which has won 14 of 17 games.
"The Booker third quarter we were able to survive for the most part," Finch said. "But it was the threes to start that really were the knockout punch."
There's always a knockout punch against these Wolves.
This stretch left Ricky Rubio feeling despondent after the game, just about the whole situation the Wolves are in this season.
"We need the break. Put it that way," Rubio said.
Rubio, who started 65 games for the Suns last season, then paused before answering a question concerning whether the Wolves this season are building a winning culture when there has been so little evidence of success.
"There is some evidence it may work like what happened with Philadelphia, I guess," Rubio said. " 'Trust the process' when they went like two, three years, really bad and then they started winning. I kind of don't believe in that kind of system. We have to build good habits from Day 1, and I don't think we are in the right way, to be honest."
BOXSCORE: Phoenix 118, Wolves 99
One habit Finch has been trying to install with the Wolves is playing through Towns at all times.
Towns was quiet early but got busier as the game went on for 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Anthony Edwards had 24 on 8-for-22 shooting. Chris Paul had 11 points and 15 assists for Phoenix.
Towns took his time getting going and had only four shots in the first half as Phoenix big men such as DeAndre Ayton and Frank Kaminsky bodied Towns in the post. Finch made some adjustments in the second half to move Towns more to the outside, and that helped open up Towns' night.
"We tried to post him a little less," Finch said. "They did a good job of wrestling him off the block down there. We tried to move him out to the side of the floor or around the logo area in the second half."
Towns ended up scoring nine points in the third quarter, but Booker was playing at an All-NBA level. He helped Phoenix turn an otherwise close game into a laugher for the last 12 minutes, a common problem the Wolves have had this year. They can stay close for a while — but only for a while.
Finch spent most of the night tinkering with the rotation. Jake Layman (30 minutes) played more than he has recently, while Jaden McDaniels played less (nine).
"I wouldn't read too many into any of the certain rotations that we've got right now," Finch said. "Part of this is somewhat of a learning [process] for me, just trying to figure out how these personnel groupings work together."
The Wolves have been searching for anything that works all season.
