The NBA, as expected, is taking a closer look at Tuesday’s on-court scuffle between the Warriors and the Timberwolves, weighing whether additional punishment – in the form of fines and/or suspensions – will be necessary, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
As we detailed earlier today, the confrontation began when Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels got tied up battling for rebounding positioning early in the first quarter. They continued to grab and shove each other on the way back up the court, prompting referees to stop play and Wolves center Rudy Gobert to try to intervene.
Warriors forward Draymond Green rushed in and put Gobert in a headlock before players were separated (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report). McDaniels and Thompson were each given two technical fouls and ejected from the game, while Green was also thrown out after being assessed with a flagrant 2 foul.
Green’s headlock on Gobert figures to be a focus of the NBA’s review, according to Wojnarowski, who notes (via Twitter) that Green’s reputation as a “repeat offender” was cited by the league in the spring when he was suspended for stepping on Domantas Sabonis in Golden State’s first-round playoff series vs. Sacramento.
The Warriors’ next game is on Thursday vs. Oklahoma City, so the NBA figures to make a ruling by then, if not before the Wolves’ contest in Phoenix on Wednesday.
Head coach Steve Kerr defended Green after Tuesday’s game, telling reporters that the Warriors star went after Gobert because the Minnesota center “had his hands on Klay’s neck.” Gobert chuckled when informed of Kerr’s comments, according to Jon Krawczynski and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
“What do you want me to say? He’s backing his guy, but I think he knows,” Gobert said. “Deep inside, he (doesn’t) want to say it but his guy is a clown.”
Krawczynski and Amick suggest that Green held onto Gobert for about nine seconds. Gobert, who held up his arms during that time to show the officials he wasn’t retaliating, believes the outcome could’ve been worse than it was.
“He’s grabbing me, he’s grabbing me, he’s grabbing me,” Gobert said. “(But) the choke wasn’t good enough. Yeah, it wasn’t enough for me to really have to (go to sleep). But he tried. He tried really hard, but it wasn’t good enough to where I felt like I was really in danger of falling asleep or something like that.
“… It was a long time, and if he knew how to choke it could have been way worse. He tried to. His intention was to really take me out. And I kept my hands up the whole time just to show the officials that I wasn’t trying to escalate the situation.”
Golbert was not the peace maker. You don’t wrap up a opposing player while your player can sucker punch him. Golbert could have easily went between the 2 players but instead went after Thompson.
Are you excusing Draymonds’ actions?
No Green will get suspended. Green saw his team mate being mugged by Golbert. Green comes in from the back side. McDaniels first steps back then goes back in when Golbert wraps up Thompson and throws a elbow at him. That is what Green sees coming from the back side. I am just saying Golbert escalated the situation by going after Thompson.
Green should 5 games while Klay, McDaniels, and Gobert get fines. None of the latter “escalated the situation,” Draymond did and I’m sick of him getting passes for interrupting games and effecting their outcomes with his stupid actions.
Green is mentally ill. Gobert was trying to defuse the situation.
Yes draymond did nothing wrong.
Gobert did what happens in every altercation. He jumped in and tried to separate people. Players always step in wherever they can and a lot of the time, they pull the opposing player out. Happens in baseball and hockey all the time, too. Draymond was unhinged and there’s no excuse for his clown behavior.
Certainly, some of these well compensated athletes don’t need baby sitting – they are supposed to get paid for what they do – but some need better coaching, the mentoring, the guidance. Is Kerr doing all of his job as a coach???
Whatever happened, poor Dray is the scapegoat and is clearly just misunderstood…
We all know the league will come down on Green. He got kicked in the balls the other game and no foul called. Had to sit out the next game because of that injury. Mitchell gets bumped and they review the call to plays later and kicks him out but Mitchell who body slams Green gets not even a foul called on him. there is a double standard on Green where refs want a reason to kick him out.
He has been kicking people there countless times. It’s like when parish beat down Bill L and everyone (including the refs)knew he deserved it and had it coming. It’s called karma and Green is getting it back(we just need someone to put him in a headlock)
Actually we can count he has done it 4 times 3 of which were over 7 years ago.
Green gets a reputation because he chews out refs. They let him go off a lot because hes screaming but its about the basketball call not being insulting to the ref.
I love that you think a man kicking another man in the balls 4 times during a sporting event is not that much.
How often do nut shots happen not involving Dray. It sucks but happens…
Hardly never
It’s the bed Dray made…
Is that supposed to be surprising? Maybe it’s not “fair”, but no one can’t say it’s exactly undeserved. If Draymond doesn’t like that, he’s free to stopping doing stuff like this.
“there is a double standard on Green where refs want a reason to kick him out.”
The only double standard here is in *favor* of Green. Dude has the longest leash in the league by a mile. Have you ever seen him screaming and ranting and raving and he doesn’t even get a tech? Every game where he picks up one tech, he goes on a rampage and dares them to give him a second/automatic ejection and they rarely take him up on it.
Green gets so much leeway it isn’t funny. No idea how you could suggest the complete opposite of reality, like thinking the refs are out to get him.
Reputations and past actions matter – that’s the way things work in life not just the NBA. Replace Draymond with Dillon Brooks and Gobert with Steph and the same Warrior fans who are defending Draymond right now would be calling for Brooks to be suspended for the rest of the season.
Off with his head. Memphis also said that to Brooks as soon as the Lakers series was over. Did Brooks, Christopher, Todd and Kennedy wrong along with Morant being dumb. Traded two 1st picks to swap tyus Jones for M Smart. They deserve there record. Green doesn’t want to play without Curry, he knows he cannot help them win. Takes out his frustrations on people, someone should sucker punch him (Poole)
Ever since Klay came back from the injury he’s gotten into more and more of these fights. Think of all the stuff with Booker as an example. I think it’s frustration over his decline in skill.
Yup, Klay 100% started this whole thing.
Those two years of doing nothing but rehabbing two major injuries clearly damaged him beyond the physical aspect. Not the same chill dude who just hooped.
I don’t know what but something has happened with Thompson. He always used to be chill but the last couple seasons he’s been playing with a chip on his shoulder, even when the Warriors are winning he looks like he’s ready to kick the world in the nuts.
Its what happens when you get talked s**t on and counted out because of injuries that are out of your control. If you have never been elite at something and had it taken from you then you cannot understand. And 99% of people have never been elite at something.
That’s my thought too. He was so good when it came to trash talk he could shut them up with his play. Now that he lost it he is fighting injuries and father time wanting to play how he used to but can’t, and when people trash talk his play no longer can shut them up. That combined with frustration of it all is probably why.
Not going to be pretty come the playoffs. But with the Warriors lacking offensive talent beyond Steph, they have no choice but to rely on Klay, whether that’s good Klay or bad, poor shot selection, hero ball Klay.
Timberwolves are sad little boys playing in a man’s league. McDaniels absolutely went after Klay, look at his jersey. Gobert got wrapped up for trying to escalate, Draymond removed the 7’2” clown from the situation without hurting him. Dropped his weak a$$ to the ground. Maybe the little puppies should keep their mouths closed next time. McDaniels and Gobert should have been ejected.
Such a confused little Warriors fan…
Hows that hater aid taste?
Min is 8-2 and GS is 6-6 in the man’s league
Have you watched GSW games? The refs have been unbelievable dogshit in this 4 game stretch. 2 Draymond ejections when he didnt deserve it. Missed goal tending and final 2 min calls against Den…
Steve Kerr has almost taken swings at the refs a bunch of times cussing them out like crazy in the last 4 games as they make one bullsh!t call after another. Sucks losing 4 straight games by 6 or less while the refs f*** you all day!
Every coach and every homer of every team thinks the refs are out to get them.
Been happening since first championship won!!!
Timberlosers have no titles.
Warriors have 7 titles. Won 4 of them since 2015.
Timberlosers can only dream of that.
And here I was thinking Arc 2 was the biggest homer still on the site….
McDaniels clearly went after Klay when Klay grabbed his jersey and impeded his movement, there’s no doubt about that. Green is lucky he doesn’t know how to apply a choke or he’d be looking at a 25+ game suspension. He didn’t remove Gobert from a escalating situation, he probably removed himself from a few games though.
That is a headlock not a choke hold dude! I have done grappling one arm around the neck is a headlock where you dont choke anyone. A rear naked choke where you can “sleep” someone requires your second arm to brace the one across the neck and push their head forward into your elbow to cut off airflow.
Fun fact if you choke someone out let them come almost back and choke them out again they will lose bowel control.
Two losses to the little boys
The NBA uses refs to massively influence games. Keep think the timberpuppies are a real team. The NBA is closer to the WWE than a real sports league.
Timberpuppies drafted two crap point guards ahead of Steph curry…. End of conversation
Lmao someone’s in their feelings.
I truly don’t know how you could interpret it that way. Jaden and Klay are equally at fault, period. Gobert did very little, if anything, to escalate the situation. Draymond irrationally and disproportionately responded with a headlock. The refs reacted fairly.
Are you really one of the fans that thinks name-calling and whining helps make a point? And for the sake of your post, “dropping his weak a$$ to the floor” from behind while using a headlock isn’t something to be proud of during an NBA game. Nor would it be outside the NBA even.
I think the team that wins doesn’t have to keep their mouths closed, by the way.
They didn’t win, the refs gave them the game. Gobert is a clown, he has over a foot on Draymond, attempted to put his arm around Klays neck and green responded. There was no chokehold, it was a safe headlock maneuver. Green was the only reason that situation de-escalated.
Got it. It was someone else’s fault for 48 minutes and Draymond saved the day.
So Draymond is 6 foot 1?
is there a more delusional fan base than the Warriors?
LeBron fans
A bunch of “grown” men touching each other.
First of all It’s a tournament game and Warriors where already down Curry. This is the only trophy the wolves can try to get. So why not go after Thompson. Thompson is having a rough start and is already pissed. Hobert should of been in guarding position. Not the chokehold. And Gwen will back up his boy to show support for his brother! 100
Draymond out till 2024 is a must… Warriors Last dance
For what? Removing the biggest guy on the court from a violent situation initiated by the opposing team? Delusional fans are sad.
As someone who has never learned from his mistakes it’s obviously time for discipline that actually makes him think about his actions…
Gobert didn’t get a chance to do any damage. Green stopped him.
Unfortunately for green he will be fined and suspended. Bad image for nba.
Totally understand mcdaniels and Thompson’s frustrations as both were defending each other very aggressively.
The officials could have stopped them before they got out of control.
Now the nba will fine them.
Basketball gets intense
Draymond does what he does to people and continues to make tens of millions. KJP Jr does it and he’ll never work in the NBA again. Makes total sense
You can’t be serious…
Dead serious. Why can Draymond choke another person but KJP Jr can’t?
Yeah violence is violence…
If Draymond is allowed to preach his gospel of stupidity you end up with the Porter jr, Bridges, Brooks and Ja violence issues…
Without proper discipline this will just keep escalating…
What was Ja’s “violence”?
Warriors fans defending Draymond sure do seem like well adjusted people…
/sarcasm
That was pretty ugly to watch, NBA really should come down hard on Dray especially with his history. Trying to choke a guy out on live TV and not letting go belongs in the UFC not a basketball court.
Rudy’s just lucky he wasn’t wearing a Warriors jersey. Could’ve been ugly
It’s sad that Kerr has to look into the camera and lie for Draymond. I was at the game and no replays were shown…my first chance to learn more was listening to Kerr say that Golbert had his hands around Klay’s neck, so I think, “wow, so glad that Draymond was there to help Klay!”…and then to see that Golbert did not have his hands anywhere around Klay’s neck just makes everyone look worse in the end. Looking back, the fact that Golbert was not ejected should have been all I needed.
It was a fun atmosphere inside the arena, but a devastating blow to lose and then to also realize what a foolish/dangerous situation Draymond put himself and the team into.
Besides all of that, Dubs need some length – and also the ability to make open shots.
Oh wow, they didn’t show any replays in there?? Y’all put up a really damn good fight shorthanded. Podzuemski (spelling??) looks like he’s gonna make the league regret missing on him. I was impressed.
Nice to hear from fans that can just see the game as it is.
Btw – it’s Gobert, no l :)
**too late to edit – my bad as Gobert deserves to at least have his name spelled properly lol.
Yeah, and the funny part with Pods showing out is that I was saying it was unforgivable when the Warriors skipped on Kris Murray to pick him up. There is still a ways to go, but I was cheering my ass off for him last night…we all were! When he went right handed with one of his layups, it really opened things up for his game as everyone just focuses on that left hand.