- Draymond Green was ejected alongside two others before a bucket was scored
- Rudy Gobert stayed in the game after the altercation and played for 35 minutes
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After being put in a headlock by Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green around 90 seconds into Tuesday night’s game, Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert said Green’s antics were ‘just clown behavior.’
‘It’s kind of funny because before the game, I was telling myself that Steph (Curry) is not playing, so I know Draymond is going to try and get ejected,’ Gobert said.
‘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,’ Gobert continued.
‘I’m proud of myself for being the bigger man again and again. And yeah, he doesn’t even deserve me putting my hands on him. My team needed me tonight,’ Gobert added.
‘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.’
Rudy Gobert was put in a headlock by Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green
Minnesota Timberwolves center Gobert said Green’s antics were ‘just clown behavior’
None of the Warriors’ ‘big three’ – Green, Curry, and Klay Thompson – played for the final 46 minutes of the 104-101 loss to the Timberwolves.
Green and Thompson were both ejected from the brawl, alongside Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels.
Curry missed the game with a right-knee injury, with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr saying his point guard is considered ‘day-to-day.’
Tuesday night’s altercation was the first time in 25 years that multiple players were ejected from a game before either team made a basket.
Gobert only scored nine points in the win over the Warriors, but did play for 35 minutes
Gobert led Minnesota to a second road win over Golden State in a 48-hour stretch
This wasn’t the first time Gobert and Green have traded verbal jabs during their careers.
In 2019, Green made fun of Gobert for crying over not getting selected to that season’s All-Star game. Tuesday’s headlock, meanwhile, led to the 18th ejection of Green’s 12-season career.
According to Sportradar, Green has only been ejected 11 times in 652 career games with Curry in the Golden State lineup, or 1.6 per cent of the time.
Green has been ejected seven times in 115 games without Curry by his side, the equivalent of 6.1 per cent of games.
