Chris Finch honors Flip Saunders on anniversary of Saunders' death

Chris Finch's media availability following shootaround was wrapping up Monday before the Timberwolves coach took a moment to add one more thing.

"I know today is the anniversary of Flip Saunders' passing," Finch said. "It's always a tough day for the organization. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and we know what he meant to this team here."

Monday marked six years since the death of Saunders, the longtime Wolves coach and former president, to complications from Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Finch's path in the NBA never crossed with Saunders', but Finch said he admired the success Saunders had with the Wolves and the legacy he left in the sport and the state.

"I think that's one of the great things about this market," Finch said. "It's part of the familiarity of the organization. Every organization is different but the success was rooted to what they were able to do here. People always ask about legacy and all that kind of stuff. You only have a legacy when you've been successful."

Finch also said he respected Saunders' creative offensive mind and the way his teams played.

"We'll be very lucky if we can mimic any of his successes," Finch said.

A pathway to success this season for the Wolves is keeping Karl-Anthony Towns healthy and on the floor. That last part includes in-game management of his fouls. That part didn't go quite as planned in Saturday's 96-89 victory over New Orleans and illustrated some issues Towns has had staying out of foul trouble.

He picked up his sixth foul with 6 minutes, 36 seconds to go on an offensive foul and the Wolves had to win the rest of the way without him.

Towns was fourth in the league in fouls last season. On Saturday, he had three offensive fouls, which can often be a hindrance to his minutes, but there doesn't seem to be a concerted effort on the part of Finch and Towns to change the way Towns plays.

Finch said the Wolves have to speak to the league about how Towns is officiated on offense.

"What we need to work with him and the powers that be is the offensive fouls that he gets called for," Finch said. "Just because you make a good post move and you create an advantage doesn't mean you get a foul from it. It seems like he probably has more offensive fouls than any other star player in the league. I don't know. We'll look at it, try to educate him and try to help him out."

Towns said he doesn't want to change the way he plays, believing that if he gives in and doesn't play with the same intensity, he won't be as effective.

"I'm going to keep playing physical," Towns said. "I didn't put all this muscle on for no reason. I'm going to keep playing physical, I'm going to keep playing my game. I'm going to keep demanding attention from every defense and let the game play out.

"We have such talented offensive players as well. I think for me, I just maybe [need to get in] better position, maybe do a little more where I don't have to fight so much."

Finch stuck with the same starting lineup for the third consecutive game with Towns, Anthony Edwards, D'Angelo Russell, Jaden McDaniels and Josh Okogie. The Wolves used 27 starting lineups last season and used only five lineups more than three times.