NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves suspend Gobert for play-in game against Los Angeles Lakers

Basketball
Published 11.04.2023
NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves suspend Gobert for play-in game against Los Angeles Lakers

Minnesota Timberwolves middle Rudy Gobert has been suspended for Tuesday’s play-in sport in opposition to the Los Angeles Lakers after he punched workforce mate Kyle Anderson within the chest throughout an incident on the sidelines of Sunday’s sport, the NBA workforce stated on Monday.

The Frenchman will miss one sport and he shall be eligible to take part in a second play-in sport, if obligatory.

Gobert left Sunday’s sport after the altercation that got here throughout a day out within the first half of the workforce’s 113-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Anderson repeatedly hurled insults at Gobert on an evening when the veteran three-time All-Star was taking part in damage, ESPN reported.

“Emotions got the best of me today,” Gobert tweeted Sunday night time.

“I should not have reacted the way I did regardless of what was said. I wanna apologize to the fans, the organization and particularly to Kyle, who is someone that I truly love and respect as a team mate.”

The Timberwolves are seeded eighth within the Western Conference and can play the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday for an opportunity to face the second seeded Memphis Grizzlies within the first spherical of the playoffs.

If the Timberwolves lose to the Lakers, they are going to play the winner of the Pelicans-Oklahoma City Thunder play-in sport, with the winner to tackle the top-seeded Denver Nuggets within the first spherical.

The 30-year-old Gobert has been named Defensive Player of the Year thrice. He averaged 13.4 factors, 11.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 70 video games for the Timberwolves this season.