Chris Finch will be on T'Wolves' bench for Game 1 vs. Nuggets days after knee surgery
Finch suffered the injury during Game 4 of their first-round series
Days after undergoing surgery to repair a right patellar tendon, Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch will be on the sidelines for Saturday's second-round series-opener against the Denver Nuggets.
There was uncertainty about Finch's status after his collision with Timberwolves guard Mike Conley in the final two minutes of Game 4 of their first-round series against the Phoenix Suns.
Timberwolves HC Chris Finch had to be helped off the court after a collision with Mike Conley.
(via @TSN_Sports)
pic.twitter.com/bFqdB23m3A— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 29, 2024
While Finch, who has been using crutches this week, will be on the bench, assistant coach Micah Nori will be in charge of huddles and communicating with players during the game.
"Feel pretty good, all things considered," Finch said Saturday before Game 1. "The plan was to try to be here all along — just see how I felt, day by day. And then figure out logistically how it might work being on the bench and with the other coaches."
If there was not enough room for Finch to be on the Timberwolves' bench, the plan was for him to watch from a suite while being able to communicate with Nori during the game. The team was able to set up their bench in a way that allowed enough room for the head coach to be near his players.
"I was wide open on everything," Finch said via the Star Tribune. "They told me that they really wanted me to just rest. I've been trying to do that. But I also wanted to be here, if I could be here in any capacity. That was the most important thing for me. Just literally taking it day by day and see how I felt."
