Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch requires knee surgery after Game 4 collision against the Suns.

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch will need surgery for a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee after a sideline collision during Game 5 against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.

Multiple reports released Monday suggest Finch, 54, will likely go under the knife between playoff rounds, before facing a recovery period of six months to a year.

Finch had to be helped off the field late in Minnesota’s 122-116 victory in Phoenix. Timberwolves guard Mike Conley crashed into Finch after being forced out of bounds by Suns guard Devin Booker, who was whistled for a personal foul.

Assistant coach Micah Nori took over after Finch was injured with 1:41 left.

“Everyone has their role, everyone supports each other,” Nori said. “I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s just next man up, even with the coaching staff.”

T-Wolves head coach Chris Finch hit the floor when his OWN point guard Mike Conley met him on the sidelines of Game 4 against the Suns in the first round of the Western Conference series.

Finch grabs his knee in pain after colliding with Conley with less than two minutes remaining

Finch, 54, guided the T-Wolves to their first playoff victory since the 2003-04 season.

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green – a four-time NBA champion – was called out by an overwhelming number of NBA fans on as “scandalous” and “mental”.

Minnesota’s four-game sweep in the first round of the Western Conference series against the Suns was the team’s first playoff victory since 2003–04.

Finch guided the Timberwolves to a 56-26 record and the third seed in the West this season.

He is 160-127 since replacing Ryan Saunders in February 2021.

Finch finished third Sunday in NBA coach of the year voting, behind winner Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Jamahl Mosley of the Orlando Magic.