DENVER – Familiarity abounds on both sides of the Nuggets-Timberwolves playoff series. Wolves coach Chris Finch used to be an assistant in Denver, as did assistant coach Micah Nori. Nuggets assistant Ryan Saunders preceded Finch as the head coach of the Wolves and guard Austin Rivers played for Denver the previous two seasons.
In the middle of all of it is current Wolves President Tim Connelly, the man who spent nine seasons building Denver into the Western Conference contender it is today and the executive who swung for one of the most controversial recent NBA trades when he brought Rudy Gobert to Minnesota.