Minnesota Timberwolves’s Rudy Gobert has reportedly been suspended before Tuesday night’s play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers, per ESPN.
Gobert was involved in an altercation Sunday, wherein he threw a punch at teammate Kyle Anderson, the outlet reported. The team reportedly decided it had “no choice” but to suspend him for the game against LA.
“The Timberwolves had to suspend Gobert for throwing a punch, but accepted it was a shot to the chest with no intent to injure,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski wrote on Twitter.
The Timberwolves had to suspend Gobert for throwing a punch, but accepted that it was a shot to chest with no intent to injure Kyle Anderson and understood that Anderson called Gobert a “bitch” repeatedly on a night Gobert was playing hurt, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 10, 2023
Gobert publicly apologized on Twitter after the incident. “Emotion got the best of me today. I should not have reacted the way I did,” Gobert said. “I wanna apologize to the fans, the organisation and particularly to Kyle.” (RELATED: Rudy Gobert Throws A Punch At His Teammate During A Timeout, Instantly Gets Tossed From Game)
Emotions got the best of me today. I should not have reacted the way i did regardless of what was said. I wanna apologize to the fans, the organisation and particularly to Kyle, who is someone that i truly love and respect as a teammate.
— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) April 10, 2023
Minnesota has already ruled out Jaden McDaniels, who fractured his hand punching a wall on his way to the locker room, according to Bleacher Report. McDaniels was seen icing his hand during the Sunday game and was later ruled out for the rest of the game against New Orleans.
Jaden McDaniels punched a wall on the way to the locker room 😬
He is out the rest of the game with a hand injury pic.twitter.com/QVGMp1hful
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 9, 2023
Gobert was traded in the offseason from the Utah Jazz to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, the draft rights to Walker Kessler, and Minnesota’s 2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029 first round picks along with a 2026 first-round pick swap.
If the report is accurate, Minnesota will have to compete in the play-in game Tuesday without Gobert or Jaden McDaniels. If they lose, the Timberwolves will still have a chance as the No. 8 seed to play the winner of the 9th vs. 10th seed game for a place in the official playoff rounds.