CHRIS FINCH

The Minnesota Timberwolves have brought in Denver Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly to take a similar role.

Ja Morant scored on a layup with a second left, and the Memphis Grizzlies rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to edge the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-109 and grab a 3-2 lead in their first-round Western Conference series.

Scoring has rarely looked so difficult for Kevin Durant.

Desmond Bane made seven 3-pointers and had 26 points and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame a 26-point deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-95 on Thursday night for a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch has signed a multi-year contract extension.

Deandre Ayton scored a career-high 35 points and had 14 rebounds, Devin Booker had 22 of his 28 points in the second half and the Phoenix Suns surged past trash-talking Minnesota 125-116 on Wednesday night.

This is the seventh season for Karl-Anthony Towns with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves blew out the depleted Los Angeles Lakers for a second time this season with a 110-92 victory.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 12 rebounds to help the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the San Antonio Spurs 115-90 on Thursday night.

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch talks to Malik Beasley during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Malik Beasley has been suspended for 12 games without pay by the NBA for his recent guilty plea to a felony charge of threats of violence. The league announced Thursday the punishment, which will begin with Minnesota's game Saturday at Washington. Beasley, in his fifth NBA season, is averaging a career-best 20.5 points. As part of Beasley’s plea deal, prosecutors dropped a felony fifth-degree drug possession charge.

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch reacts during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)CHICAGO – The leadership of the National Basketball Coaches Association spoke out Wednesday about its “concern and level of disappointment” with the way the Minnesota Timberwolves went about their coaching change earlier this week. The statement came from NBCA president Rick Carlisle of the Dallas Mavericks and NBCA executive director David Fogel. Ad“There were other candidates, minority candidates we considered at this time,” Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said. “During this past offseason, we saw many NBA head coaching vacancies where teams led searches that were both diverse and transparent,” Fogel and Carlisle wrote in their statement.

FILE - This Dec. 15, 2011, file photo shows Houston Rockets assistant coach Chris Finch during an NBA basketball media day in Houston. Chris Finch is the new coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team announced Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, after dismissing Ryan Saunders the previous night. The team quickly hired Finch, who was in his first season as an assistant with the Toronto Raptors. Finch replaced Ryan Saunders, who was fired Sunday night after Minnesota lost at New York and fell to a league-worst 7-24. “I think we can breathe some confidence back into the roster,” Finch said, "and these guys can maybe find some joy.”___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports