Timberwolves HC to undergo knee surgery, Game 1 availability TBD

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, who sustained a torn right patellar tendon during a sideline collision with point guard Mike Conley in Sunday’s Game 4 victory over Phoenix, will undergo surgery on Wednesday to repair the tear, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

Barring any unexpected complications following that surgery, Finch should be able to travel to Denver with his team on Friday before the Western Conference semifinals on Saturday, per Wojnarowski and Shelburne. However, whether the head coach can join the Wolves on the bench for Game 1 remains to be seen.

As ESPN’s reporters explain, Finch’s right leg will have to be immobilized in a brace during the early stages of his rehabilitation. If it’s not practical for him to sit on the bench at the start of the series vs. Denver, he’ll have to communicate to the bench from Minnesota’s locker room, with assistant Micah Nori acting as head coach.

While the Wolves are fortunate not to be missing any key players due to injuries, they’ll need every edge they can get heading into a huge second-round series against the defending champion Nuggets. Finch’s situation isn’t ideal, especially with Minnesota up against one of the NBA’s top tacticians, Michael Malone, so hopefully he can safely and comfortably return to his spot on the bench as soon as possible.