Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert calls Draymond Green’s ejection ‘clown behavior’
Klay Thompson #11 and Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors complain to the referee after getting into an altercation with the Minnesota Timberwolves at Chase Center on November 14, 2023 in San Francisco, California. ((Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A basket hadn’t even been scored yet when a scuffle broke out between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors Tuesday night, and three players were ejected.
It was less than two minutes into the game when Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels got tangled up, and were eventually pulling on each other’s jerseys. Draymond Green stepped in, and took it to an entirely new level. Rudy Gobert was trying to be a peacemaker when Green stepped in from behind him, choked him and dragged him away from the scuffle.
After a lengthy review, McDaniels, Thompson and Green were ejected. Green will likely face a hefty fine for his choke on Gobert. After the game, Gobert told reporters it was "clown behavior" and said Green wanted to get ejected after he found out Steph Curry wouldn’t play due to knee soreness.
The Timberwolves beat the Warriors 101-101 to win their seventh straight, improve to 8-2 on the season and go 2-0 in the NBA’s in-season tournament.
"It’s kind of funny because before the game, I was telling myself that Steph is not playing, so I know Draymond is going to try and get ejected. Because every time Steph doesn’t play, he doesn’t want to play, it’s his guy Steph. He’ll do anything he can to get ejected... Clown behavior, and I’m proud of myself for being the bigger man again and again," Gobert said. "And yeah, doesn’t even deserve me putting my hands on him. My team needed me tonight. I did whatever I could to keep my cool and then show that I wasn’t making the situation worse, and I do hope that the league is going to do what needs to be done because that’s just clown behavior. Not much to say. It’s clown behavior."
The Wolves are at the Phoenix Suns Wednesday night.