Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane learned that pushing a coach is a no-no in Tuesday’s 111-109 Game 5 win against the Timberwolves.
Bane was caught shoving Minnesota head coach Chris Finch to the side while trying to inbound the ball in the second quarter — and Finch wasn’t happy.
The second-year Minnesota coach raised his arm to shake Bane’s hand in a tense moment that was caught by a referee, who intervened and hit Bane with a technical foul.
The Grizzlies-Timberwolves series has been a highly entertaining battle between two of the league’s youngest teams. Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins was fined $15,000 Monday for criticizing the officiating after Game 4, which ended in a Timberwolves win.
After a dramatic comeback victory in Game 5, Bane told reporters that the Timberwolves were talking trash down the stretch when they were up.
“Their players talking, ‘Oh, they about to fold, they about to fold,’ I knew that wasn’t the case,” Bane said.
Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant — who gifted Bane his Most Improved Player award earlier this week — scored the game-winning layup with one second left on the clock after Anthony Edwards hit the tying 3-pointer seconds before.
Bane finished the win with 25 points on 9-for-20 shooting to help push the Grizzlies to a 3-2 series lead.
Game 6 is scheduled for Friday in Minnesota.
