Chris Finch Injury Update: Wolves' coach to have knee surgery after collision
After rupturing the patellar tendon on his right knee mid-game during the Minnesota Timberwolves' Game 4 series victory over the Phoenix Suns, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch is reportedly set to undergo surgery on Wednesday. It is unclear if Finch will be available against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semi-Finals.
The surgery will require Finch's right leg to be immobilized with a brace. In case of Finch's non-participation on the court, Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori will coach for Game 1 of the best-of-seven series with the head coach likely communicating to the bench from the locker room.
Finch sustained the injury after hitting the floor painfully following a collision with Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. during the final few minutes of Game 4. He was seen exiting the game soon after the unfortunate injury.
"DEVIN BOOKER IS A THUG": Wolves fans bash Suns' star
With the Timberwolves head coach set to undergo surgery, many NBA fans reacted to the news with sympathy for the man. However, many others took to social media to call out Booker's alleged part in pushing Mike Conley Jr. into a collision course with the Timberwolves coach.
"DEVIN BOOKER IS A THUG," a fan tweeted.
"Devin booker pushed Mike Conley on purpose yo 😭😭," a fan tweeted.
"Devin Booker gonna need a security guard on the court next time he steps on the Target Center floor," a fan tweeted.
"Booker is a dirty player and needs to be suspended," a fan tweeted.
"Dirty Booker," a fan tweeted.
Devin Booker was guarding Mike Conley Jr. as the Timberwolves guard was trying to bring the ball to the frontcourt in the final minutes of the game. With Booker tightly guarding him, Conley was seen tumbling toward the sidelines and colliding with Chris Finch following a bump from Booker.
Though the intent cannot be ascertained for sure, Finch was seen falling to the ground and grabbing his right knee. Booker was handed his fifth personal foul of the game for pushing Conley which allowed the Timberwolves to go up 119-113 following Conley's two drained free throws.
The game concluded 122-116 as the Timberwolves swept the Suns in the first-round playoff series to become the first team to advance to the Western Conference Semi-Finals. The Timberwolves look forward to their coach's speedy recovery as they face the reigning NBA champions for the conference semi-final series.