Getty Image / Christian Peterson
The Minnesota Timberwolves had a fantastic first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, winning in a sweep as an underdog.
Really only one thing went wrong, and it was something no one could’ve ever predicted. Head Coach Chris Finch got hurt at the end of game 4 when Mike Conley fell into him on the sidelines.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch left to the locker room after a sideline collision with Mike Conley
Wishing him well 🙏 pic.twitter.com/0P1NAiQ7oG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 29, 2024
At the time, it looked really bad. And, had he not been able to coach in the 2nd round, it would’ve been a huge loss. Finch, who was a finalist for NBA Coach of the Year this year, has established himself as one of the best coaches in the entire league.
He just led the Timberwolves to their first series win in 20 years, and the franchise really turned around under his watch so far.
They’ve finished over .500 for three straight seasons with three consecutive playoff experiences.
Thankfully, it appears he’s going to be back on the sidelines starting on Saturday for game one of their highly-anticipated series against the defending champion Denver Nuggets. That’s according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Good news: There is increased optimism that Minnesota coach Chris Finch (torn patellar tendon) will be seated near bench for Timberwolves-Nuggets Western Conference semifinals tipping off on Saturday night, sources tell me and @JonKrawczynski