"Bro came back before Kawhi": NBA fans glad to hear reports of coach Chris Finch making it to Denver for Game 1

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch will be present for his team's Western Conference series opener against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday but will be seated near the bench. NBA fans were pleased to hear the news and expressed their thoughts on social media.

The Athletic's Shams Charania broke the news on X, formerly Twitter, after the availability of Finch was rendered questionable due to a knee injury he suffered in their first-round series-clinching victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. Minnesota guard Mike Conley collided with his coach late in Game 4 of their sweep of the Suns.

Finch tore his patellar tendon and subsequently required surgery on his injured knee on Wednesday. The procedure is said to have gone well.

As per Charania's post:

"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 Sunday night, sources tell me ..."

Upon getting wind of the news, fans gave their take on social media, including giving props to Chris Finch for being a gamer despite his situation.

Below are what some of them wrote on X:

X user Zelgaro (@ZelgaroMusic) compared the coach to currently injured LA Clippers All-Star Kawhi Leonard, saying:

"Bro came back before Kawhi"

@BronWorld, for his part, was equally impressed and surprised, writing:

"OMGGGG NO WAY"

Another from X user SpoMuse (@spomuse) who said:

"W for him"

Some comments circled around how Finch's presence will be a boon to the Timberwolves as they go up against the defending NBA champions.

X user Eddie (@kameidotrading):

"That's good, His presence will be needed on that young Minnesota team's bench."

@ballinforever30 highlighted:

"Super underrated news. May seem minor .. but they gonna need their head coach present against this Nuggets team."

Of course, many expressed their well-wishes to the 54-year-old coach, who has helped Minnesota win its first playoff series in two decades.

@matt said:

"Awesome! Best wishes for Coach Finch."

X user Lakers On X (@LakersOnX), for its part, wrote:

"Great news for the coach"

Charania also noted on a follow-up post that while Chris Finch will be on hand, his assistant Micah Nori will actively run the show.

Chris Finch leads team practice after surgery

While he continues to recuperate from his knee injury, Chris Finch continues to be involved in preparing his Minnesota Timberwolves for their Western Conference semifinal showdown against the Denver Nuggets, which begins on Saturday. He even led the team practice after undergoing surgery earlier this week.

ESPN reported on the development, saying that even in crutches, the head coach was interacting with his players and giving pointers.

As per the report, the Timberwolves organization is greatly appreciative of the commitment of its head coach despite the situation he is in.

The team's President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly said:

"Finch is obviously a leader and a super tough guy. I have ton of respect for him bouncing back so quickly. He's chomping at the bit to get back out there. He's really excited about the series and it's great to have him back."

Do you think the Minnesota Timberwolves could shock the Denver Nuggets in their playoff series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.