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Brandin Podziemski and the Golden State Warriors are in a physical playoff battle with Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round. Physicality has been a big word thrown around as a way to describe the series, but that appears to have taken on a life of its own after the Warriors took Game 1.
Brandin Podziemski and Golden State have been the smaller team in all eight of their postseason matchups so far against the Houston Rockets and Timberwolves. That means they've needed to up their intensity and physicality in order to stay alive.
Minnesota head coach Chris Finch made comments about what he felt the Warriors were getting away with, which prompted Steve Kerr to respond. Now, Podziemski has submitted his take on the physicality.
Warriors' Brandin Podziemski responds to Timberwolves' complaints about physicality
After a Game 1 in which the Timberwolves were outrebounded 51-41, including 18-12 on the offensive glass, head coach Chris Finch made sure to address what he viewed was a difference in physicality.
“On defensive rebounding, they do a lot of fouling, holding, shoving, pushing and tackling Rudy [Gobert],” Finch said. “That's clear. We sent a bunch of those clips in to the league. In fact, I'm not sure I know another player in the league with Rudy's pedigree that is allowed to be physically beaten on the way he is. And so, we've got to address that one way or another.”
Brandin Podziemski was asked about how he viewed Chris Finch's comments about the physicality in Game 1.
“I mean, it's the playoffs,” Podziemski said during a team media availability Wednesday afternoon. “What we just had to go through with the Rockets, I think it's kind of just rubbed off on us. What they were doing is kind of similar to what we're doing now. I don't know if the Lakers were doing that to the Timberwolves in the first round, but it's the playoffs. You're trying to do anything you can to win. I mean, Rudy's probably a whole foot taller than me, so what do you want me to do?”
“I think Rudy (Gobert) is a whole foot taller than me so what do you want me to do?”
Podz after he was asked about Chris Finch’s comments about him fouling Gobert pic.twitter.com/sICpQAVHO0
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) May 7, 2025
The Warriors had four players with at least eight rebounds, including Brandin Podziemski, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, and Buddy Hield. Minnesota only had two.
When informed about Finch's comments, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn't hold back on his feelings regarding the physicality.
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“Yeah, I mean I was upset the first 10 minutes of the game,” Kerr admitted to members of the media. “It was just like Houston all over again. They were bear-hugging Steph [Curry], and they could’ve called six fouls. But the league has established the physicality in the playoffs. Chris talked about it last week. Just the overall physicality. To me, it's crazy out there, what's happening. Everybody is fouling each other. I just feel like they have a really hard job because playoff basketball is, yes, it's physical, and they're goin to allow more, but I think they could've called a foul six or seven straight possessions with them guarding Steph. And so I’ve got my complaints, too. Trust me. We all do. And this is how it works in the playoffs. We watched the tape, we see all the fouls on them that aren't called. They watch the tape, they see the little ones on us that weren't called. It's a physical game. it's just going to be. Both teams have to adjust. I’m getting ready to send my own clips in to the league.”
In the Warriors first round series against the Rockets, Golden State averaged 39.6 rebounds — 10.4 offensive and 29.1 defensive. Houston, on the other hand, averaged 46.9 rebounds — 13.4 offensive and 33.4 defensive.
Despite losing the rebounding battle significantly, the Warriors were able to win. A similar task is ahead for Golden State, who goes from facing Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams to Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid.
“It has been consistent,” Kerr said of the officiating. “They're consistently allowing teams to foul. And like I said, it's a really hard thing to control because everybody's playing so hard and they know what the other team is running, and if you call every foul.
“I mean Ime Udoka said it in our Houston series. ‘Just keep fouling them. They can't call them all.' That's the old Pat Riley, Chuck Daly formula from the late 1980's or 1990's. Just foul them every time, the refs can't call it. This is playoff basketball. I always feel like the officials need to call stuff early in the game to set a tone. Chris has his complaints, I've got mine. For eight straight games now, Steph hasn't had any freedom of movement. They've called maybe four or five calls in maybe eight games and we're watching on tape. They're literally bear huggings Steph. that's a foul. But they're allowing it, and so like I said, both teams are going to have complaints every game.”
Steve Kerr on these Chris Finch comments
“They’re bear-hugging Steph. They could’ve called six fouls.”
“I’ve got my complaints, too. We all do.”
“I’m getting ready to send my own clips into the league.” https://t.co/Zy2Hd0RI0v pic.twitter.com/24cszcdZHf
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 7, 2025
The Warriors and Timberwolves will tip off Game 2 on Thursday night at 5:30PM PST. Unfortunately, that game and the next three games will not feature Stephen Curry, who will miss at least one week after suffering a Grade 1 hamstring strain Game 1.
