Sources: Wolves player Chris Finch will undergo surgery after the collision

Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch will undergo surgery to repair his right patellar tendon on Wednesday, and it remains unclear whether he will be able to open the Western Conference Semifinal series against the Denver Nuggets on the bench, sources told ESPN.

In the early stages of his rehabilitation, Finch will be asked to keep his right leg immobilized in a brace. If Finch can't stand on the sidelines to start the series, assistant Mika Nouri will coach Saturday's first game, with Finch likely communicating with the bench from the locker room, sources said.

Barring complications with the procedure on Wednesday, Finch — who finished third in NBA Coach of the Year voting — should be able to travel to Denver with the team on Friday, sources said.

The Nuggets are the defending NBA champions and the No. 2 seed in the West. The Timberwolves are the third seed.

Finch suffered the injury in the final moments of Sunday's Game 4 win over the Phoenix Suns after Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. collided with his coach after colliding with a dribbler on the sideline.

Finch led the Timberwolves to their best regular season record (56-26) and first playoff series win in 20 years. The Timberwolves made the playoffs in each of Finch's first three seasons.

Nouri spent three seasons with Finch in Minnesota after stops with the Detroit Pistons, Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, and Toronto Raptors.