Days after undergoing surgery to repair a right patellar tendon, Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch will be on the sideline for the opener of Saturday’s second-round series 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.
While Finch, who has been using crutches this week, will be on the bench, assistant coach Micah Nori will be in charge of meetings and communication with the players during the game.
“I feel pretty good, all things considered,” Finch said Saturday before Game 1. “The plan was to try to be here all the time, just see how I felt, day by day. And then figure out logistically how being in on the bench and with the other coaches.
If there wasn’t enough room for Finch to be on the Timberwolves bench, the plan was for him to watch from a suite while also being able to communicate with Nori during the game. The team was able to configure their bench in a way that left enough room for the head coach to be close to his players.
“I was very open to everything,” Finch said. via the Star Tribune. “They told me they really wanted me to rest. I’ve been trying to do that. But I also wanted to be here, if I could be here in some capacity. That was the most important thing for me. Literally taking it day by day and seeing how I felt.”