Chris Finch Confirms He’ll Be On Sidelines For Game 1

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch told reporters that he’ll be in the bench area for the start of the team’s second-round series today in Denver (video link from Dave McMenamin of ESPN).

Finch will be seated in the second row, but there will be no chair in front of him, tweets team broadcaster Alan Horton. He’ll be located next to the television broadcast table, which should provide some level of protection.

Finch is only three days removed from surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his right knee. He was injured in a collision with Mike Conley late in Sunday’s closeout victory over Phoenix (video link).

Finch was on crutches as he walked into today’s pregame session with the media, but he handed them to a member of the public relations staff and was able to climb onto the podium without help, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. He provided a quick update on his condition and said he has spent the last few days figuring out how to safely be with the team for the series opener.

“I feel pretty good, all things considered. The plan was to try and be here all along,” Finch said. “Just see how I felt day by day. And then kind of figure out logistically how it might work being on the bench and with the other coaches.”

Finch confirmed that assistant coach Micah Nori will stand along the sidelines and handle the flow of the game. Finch will provide input and communicate with players during timeouts.

Finch added that he was determined all week that the injury wouldn’t keep him away as his team prepared to battle the defending champs.

“I was wide open on everything,” he said. “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.”