Wolves coach Chris Finch injures knee in sideline collision

PHOENIX — Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was helped off the court docket late in his staff’s series-clinching 122-116 win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night time with a ruptured patellar tendon in his proper knee after one among his gamers collided with him on the sideline.

The collision occurred with 1:40 left within the fourth quarter of the Timberwolves’ closeout win to brush the Suns in 4 video games. Minnesota level guard Mike Conley was driving down the court docket and compelled out of bounds by Suns guard Devin Booker, who was known as for a foul.

Conley collided with Finch, who went down holding his proper knee. Finch was surrounded by Timberwolves gamers and employees earlier than being helped up and off the court docket. The staff later confirmed he ruptured his patellar tendon.

Finch left the sector on a cart and didn’t communicate to the media postgame, with assistant coach Micah Nori assuming these duties.

Nori stated Finch was within the medical room getting checked out and that the staff went all the way down to see him after the sport.

“He is clearly in good spirits and so are the blokes,” Nori stated.

Nori took over for the ultimate 1:41 of the sport because the Wolves closed with relative ease.

“All people has their function, all people has one another’s again,” Nori stated. “I do know it sounds corny, but it surely’s simply subsequent man up, even with the teaching employees.”

Earlier Sunday, Finch was introduced because the third-place vote-getter behind winner Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder and second-place Jamahl Mosley of the Orlando Magic for NBA Coach of the Yr. Finch led Minnesota to the second-most wins in franchise historical past.