NBA
How bad is Chris Finch’s knee injury? Will he keep coaching the Timberwolves in the 2024 NBA Playoffs?
Finch tore his patellar tendon after a collision with point guard Mike Conley towards the end of Game 4 against the Suns.
The Minnesota Timberwolves made light work of the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, securing a 4-0 sweep on Sunday to win the series with three games to spare. Their most recent victory was, however, overshadowed somewhat by head coach Chris Finch tearing his patellar tendon in a freak accident with point guard Mike Conley.
How did Finch suffer his injury?
As he was dribbling close to the sidelines, Conley was bumped into by the Suns’ Devin Brooker and proceeded to crash awkwardly into his coach, who fell to the ground clutching his knee. Finch was helped to the locker room, with assistant Micah Nori taking over for the last 1:41 of the game.
The Timberwolves later posted photos of the 54-year-old being consoled by Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, with Nori revealing in the post-game press conference that Finch was “in good spirits” after the incident. It was then confirmed, however, that the coach had ruptured his patellar tendon, a ligament which connects the bottom of the kneecap (patella) to the top of the shinbone (tibia).
Will Finch miss any games in the 2024 playoffs?
Sports injury analyst Dr Evan Jeffries posted on social media that surgery after such an injury usually takes around six months to recover from, although it can take up to a year to feel completely “normal”.
The Timberwolves haven’t stated when Finch will go under the knife or what his status for the remainder of the playoffs will be, although the team could have a week off before they play in the conference semifinals following the early finish to their first-round series. Jeffries believes Finch having an operation between rounds and taking up his usual place courtside could be an option.
According to Dr Pamela Mehta of Resilience Orthopaedics, “in the first few weeks after surgery, the knee will be immobilized in a brace or cast” and sufferers “need to use crutches to avoid putting weight on the leg”.
As Finch is coaching rather than playing and could, in theory, get his points across sitting down, it may well be business as usual for the Timberwolves in the conference semi-finals. Minnesota will play either the Denver Nuggets or the LA Lakers for a spot in the Western Conference final.