T’wolves coach Finch needs knee surgery after collision
Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch sustained a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee during a sideline collision Sunday night.
Multiple reports Monday said Finch will likely have surgery between playoff rounds, then faces a recovery period of six months to one year.
Finch had to be helped off the court late in Minnesota’s series-clinching 122-116 win at 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 remaining in the game.
Minnesota’s four-game sweep in the firstround Western Conference series was the team’s first playoff series win since 2003-04.
Monday’s playoff game
Celtics 102, Heat 88: Derrick White scored 38 points on 15-for-26 shooting, including 8-for-15 success from 3-point range, as the visiting Celtics cruised to a 3-1 first-round series lead.
Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 11 rebounds and Jaylen Brown finished with 17 points.
White, a 29-year-old guard, produced a careerhigh point total – regular season or postseason.
Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 25 points, 17 rebounds and five assists. Tyler Herro contributed 19 points and Caleb Martin had 18 for Miami, which will try to stave off elimination in Game 5 of the series on Wednesday night in Boston.
The victory came with a potential injury cost for top-seeded Boston.
Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis injured his calf in the first half and did not return. Porzingis reportedly will undergo tests on Tuesday, but indications are that he did not sustain a significant Achilles tendon injury.