Rudy Gobert has fired back at Draymond Green after Green put him in a headlock less than two minutes into Tuesday’s game between the Timberwolves and Warriors.
Green’s behaviour resulted in him getting ejected, along with Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels, the two players whose jawing sparked the initial scuffle.
Now, Gobert has some thoughts on the whole thing.
“Every time Steph doesn’t play, he [Green] doesn’t want to play without his guy Steph, so he does anything he can to get ejected,” Gobert said postgame according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.
Gobert went on to call Green’s chokehold “clown behaviour”.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, meanwhile, came out in defence of Green.
“If you watch the replay, Rudy had his hands on Klay’s neck and that’s why Draymond went after Rudy,” he said. “Guys on the back of the bench were telling us that Rudy had Draymond or had Klay and that’s why Draymond went at Rudy. So that’s all I know.”
Kerr also voiced his displeasure over Thompson’s ejection.
“There’s no way Klay Thompson should have been thrown out of the game,” he said. “I mean, he’s running up the floor and the guy grabs his jersey and he’s pulling on him. And so Klay pulls back and no way Klay should have been ejected. That was ridiculous. So I was upset about that.”
Rudy Gobert and the Timberwolves ultimately had the last laugh, winning the game 104-101.
That was thanks in part to Karl Anthony Towns’ 33 points and 11 rebounds, while Gobert contributed with nine points, 13 rebounds and some particularly excellent defensive sequences.
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