Warriors vs. Timberwolves fight involves 3 ejections
By Jon Krawczynski, Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II
Warriors of the Golden State guard Klay Thompson, forward Green Draymond And Minnesota Timberwolves Before Jaden McDaniels were ejected after an altercation broke out in the first quarter of Tuesday’s game.
Just 1:43 into the game, Thompson and McDaniels got into a brawl in the middle of the field that saw both players grab each other’s jerseys. A few moments later, that of Minnesota Rudy Gobert – who appeared to be trying to end the altercation – was caught around the neck by Green before players and coaches stepped in to break it up.
Thompson, Green and McDaniels were ejected.
The Timberwolves won 104-101 Warriors. Minnesota improved to 8-2 while Golden State fell to 6-6.
GO FURTHER
Rudy Gobert slams Draymond Green’s ‘clown behavior’ as he gets the better of latest argument
What exactly happened between Thompson and McDaniels?
Thompson boxed McDaniels in the right corner on one of the first possessions of the night. In this context, Thompson appeared to recover McDaniels’ jersey. McDaniels objected. He grabbed Thompson’s jersey and started pulling it, which started a strange, long tug of war between the two that turned into a much bigger dustup. Thompson’s jersey was torn. After review, both were expelled. — Anthony Slater, Warriors beat writer
The Warriors and T-Wolves faced off in the first 1:43 of the game.
Draymond Green put Rudy Gobert in a headlock.
🎥 @NBCSWarriors pic.twitter.com/p3yzj8Mvip
– The Athletic (@TheAthletic) November 15, 2023
What exactly happened between Green and Gobert?
As the confrontation between McDaniels and Thompson spilled over to the Warriors side, Gobert came in and grabbed Thompson from behind. This brought Green into the fight, and he put Gobert in a choke to get him off Thompson. Cities of Karl-Anthony And Anthony Edwards caught Green and Gobert, and tempers continued to rise. McDaniels was particularly heated, having to be restrained by his teammates as he yelled at Thompson. — Timberwolves beat writer Jon Krawczynski
Is there a longer-term concern for the Warriors?
Potentially. I doubt Thompson and McDaniels will benefit from any additional discipline, but everyone knows the history between Green and the NBA. They even admitted that after the first round, Domantas Sabonis that they suspended Green one game in part because of his past. This will likely play into the equation again when they look into this incident in the coming days. If they deem Green’s head-grabbing of Gobert excessive, he could face another suspension on the heels of two separate ejections this week. —Slater
GO FURTHER
Warriors observations: What happened in loss to Timberwolves
What the loss of McDaniels means for the Timberwolves
McDaniels is the Wolves’ best perimeter defender. Its importance to this game has been reduced slightly with Steph Curry sitting back, but Wolves will always miss the pressure he can put Chris Paul And Andrew Wiggins. From a team perspective, the fight definitely seemed to rattle the Wolves early in the game. They struggled early on to calm the game down, missing shots, turning the ball over and looking disorganized on defense, which made the Warriors play shorthanded early on. —Krawczynski
How the Warriors replace Green
Green’s famous last altercation took place with his own teammate. It cost him some credibility in the locker room. How will this impact his place in the locker room since he came to Thompson’s defense? Will this be seen as a good thing? The Warriors’ start to the season has been characterized by good vibes, unlike last year. Green said last year’s chemistry was horrible.
Will this be a galvanizing force for the Warriors? Or the last incident where Green went overboard and cost the Warriors?
This represents a great opportunity for Jonathan Kuminga. With Green out, that’s 30 minutes of action available on the Warriors’ front court. The Warriors desperately need one of their young players to make the jump, especially since length and athleticism are known to cause problems for the Warriors.
Another potential opportunity presents itself for Tracey Jackson-Davis, the big rookie that the Warriors love. Green is essentially the Warriors’ backup center. —Marcus Thompson II, senior columnist
Required reading
(Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
