Minnesota Timberwolves teammates Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson got into it on the bench during Sunday’s regular season finale against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The two could be seen having a heated exchange before Gobert threw a punch in Anderson’s direction.
Almost immediately after, Gobert was sent home for the remainder of the game. We now have more information on the All-Star’s status for Tuesday’s Play-In Game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report that Gobert had been suspended for the all-important game:
The Timberwolves followed that up by making it official by announcing that Rudy Gobert had in fact been suspended.
“The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has suspended center Rudy Gobert for one game following yesterday’s incident. Gobert will serve his team suspension during tomorrow’s game at Los Angeles Lakers,” the Timberwolves announcement on Monday.
This could be an absolutely massive blow for the Wolves as they look to advance to the NBA Playoffs. A win Tuesday in Los Angeles would give Minnesota the seventh seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, setting up a first-round matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies in the process.
Rudy Gobert stats (2022-23): 13.4 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 1.4 BPG, 66% shooting
For the Timberwolves, this comes with stud young backup Naz Reid also sidelined to injury. Despite winning Sunday’s regular-season finale, it came with another costly injury. Forward Jaden McDaniels was seen punching a wall as he headed to the locker room during the game.
It was then noted that he suffered a fractured hand. McDaniels is among the best defensive forwards in the NBA. Losing him for a game against LeBron James and Co. is not great news.