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Adrian Wojnarowski
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Ramona Shelburne
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Ramona Shelburne
ESPN Senior Writer
- Senior writer for ESPN.com
- Spent seven years at the Los Angeles Daily News
Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch will undergo surgery to repair a right patellar tendon Wednesday, and it remains unclear whether he’ll be able to open the franchise’s Western Conference semifinal series against the Denver Nuggets on the bench, sources told ESPN.
In the early stages of his rehabilitation, Finch will be required to keep right leg immobilized in a brace. If Finch isn’t able to park on the sidelines to start the series, assistant Micah Nori will coach Game 1 on Saturday, with Finch likely communicating to the bench from the locker room, sources said.
Barring complications from the procedure Wednesday, Finch — who finished third in the NBA’s Coach of the Year voting — should be able to travel to Denver with the team Friday, sources said.
The Nuggets are the NBA’s defending champions and the No. 2 seed in the West; the Timberwolves are the third seed.
Finch suffered the injury in the final moments of a Game 4 victory Sunday over the Phoenix Suns after Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. collided with his coach after getting bumped dribbling down the sideline.
Finch led the Timberwolves to their best regular-season record (56-26) and first playoff series victory in 20 years. The Timberwolves have made the playoffs in each of Finch’s first three seasons.
Nori has spent three seasons with Finch in Minnesota after stops with the Detroit Pistons, Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors.