The Wolves have a massive boost ahead of Game 1 against the defending champions. Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch went through a tormenting pain at the end of the First Round series against the Phoenix Suns. Reports following the injury revealed that the coach was doubtful about returning to the semi-final series after the Patellar Tendon’s surgery. While Finch’s return as a coach isn’t confirmed yet, Anthony Edwards & Co. has good news.

Shams Charania revealed that Chris Finch would be seated near the Wolves bench for the Saturday night game against the Denver Nuggets. Moreover, he added that assistant coach Micah Nori will take care of the proceedings of the game.

During the final few minutes of the game, Wolves’ Mike Conley Jr. collided with Chris Finch on the sidelines. The 54-year-old coach fell to his knees and remained on the floor with agonizing pain. The Wolves staff escorted him to the locker room. Following the injury, the initial update revealed that the coach went through surgery. And doctors advised him not to travel to Game 1.

Finch enabled the Wolves to create a miracle that they lacked in the last 20 years. After Kevin Garnett’s successful stint with the Wolves in 2004, the team never won a single playoff series. It was Anthony Edwards & Co. that decimated the Phoenix Suns in a 4-0 series win to break the curse that had been haunting the franchise.

The Wolves appointed Finch as their head coach in 2021 and it took him only three years to end the franchise’s long-standing adversity. Despite making a massive turnaround with the franchise, the coach came up only third in the Coach of the Year Award race. However, the tile went to OKC Thunder‘s coach, Mark Daigneault. He brought the team from the 10th seed to the top seed within a year.

Nuggets vs Wolves: Who will win Game 1?

Even though the Nuggets and Wolves ended up in 2nd and 3rd seed, they equally deserved top-seed. Both dominant teams ended their first round in a dramatic fashion, sending home the two biggest superstars of the league. While LeBron James & Co. showed some fight, almost winning 2 games. It was Jamal Murray’s sheer clutch play that saved the Nuggets from falling short.

However, in the case of Wolves, it’s an entirely different story. Kevin Durant & Co. didn’t have a chance against the Wolves throughout the series. Except for Game 4, Devin Booker and KD resisted together and almost forced Game 5. Even then Ant-Man had all the answers in his book to send his idol home early in the postseason.

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However, going into the semi-final series, the Wolves have a drawback with the absence of Chris Finch. It’s almost confirmed that he won’t be actively involved in the decision-making. At the same time, there isn’t clarity for the rest of the tournament. The assistant coach, Micah Nori has ton load of experience, working as an assistant coach since 2009 for teams like the Nuggets, Kings, and Raptors. He joined Finch in 2021 and has a chance to make his case in this series.

Who do you think will win Game 1? Let us know in the comments.