Warriors, Timberwolves fights include 3 ejections

By Jon Krawczynski, Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, forward Draymond Green and Minnesota Timberwolves forward 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 scuffle at center half, with both players grabbing each other’s jersey. Moments later, Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert — who appeared to try to break up the altercation — was grabbed around the neck by Green before players and coaches intervened to break up the altercation.

Thompson, Green and McDaniels were ejected.

The Timberwolves beat the Warriors 104-101. Minnesota improved to 8-2, while Golden State fell to 6-6.

What exactly happened between Thompson and McDaniels?

Thompson boxed out McDaniels in the right corner on one of the first possessions of the night. As part of that, Thompson appeared to grab McDaniels’ jersey. McDaniels objected. He grabbed Thompson’s jersey and started yanking on it, leading to a strange and prolonged tug-of-war between the two that culminated in a much bigger commotion. Thompson’s sweater was torn. After the assessment, both were ejected. – Anthony Slater, Warriors beat writer

The Warriors and T-Wolves got into a brawl 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 transitioned to the Warriors side of the court, Gobert came in and grabbed Thompson from behind. That brought Green into the fray, and he put Gobert in a chokehold to pull him off Thompson. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards grabbed Green and Gobert, and tempers continued to flare. McDaniels was extremely agitated and had to be restrained by teammates as he yelled at Thompson. — Jon Krawczynski, Timberwolves beat writer

Are there any longer-term concerns for Warriors?

Possibly. I doubt Thompson and McDaniels will receive any additional discipline, but everyone knows the history between Green and the NBA. They even admitted after Domantas Sabonis’ first-round stomp that they had suspended Green for a game in part because of his past. That will likely come into play again as they review this incident in the coming days. If they find Green’s attitude toward Gobert excessive, he could be suspended again this week after two separate ejections. —Slater

GO DEEPER

Warriors observations: What was lost for the Timberwolves?

What losing McDaniels means for the Timberwolves

McDaniels is the Wolves’ best perimeter defender. His importance in this game was diminished slightly with Steph Curry dropping out, but Wolves will still miss the pressure he can put on Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins. From a team perspective, the fight certainly seemed to confuse the Wolves early in the game. They initially struggled to calm the game down, missing shots, turning the ball over and looking disorganized on defense, which played into the hands of the short-handed Warriors early on. – Krawczynski

How the Warriors replaced Green

Green’s famous final altercation was with his own teammate. It cost him some credibility in the locker room. How will this affect his position in the locker room since defending Thompson? Will it be seen as a good thing? The Warriors’ early start to the season was characterized by a good atmosphere, which was in contrast to last year. Green said the chemistry was terrible last year.

Will this be a galvanizing force for the Warriors? Whether the latest incident of Green going overboard will cost the Warriors?

This creates a great opportunity for Jonathan Kuminga. With Green out, there are 30 minutes of action available on the Warriors’ front court. The Warriors desperately need one of their young players to take a leap, especially since height and athleticism have been known to cause the Warriors problems.

Another potential opportunity presents itself for Trayce Jackson-Davis, the rookie the Warriors love. Green is essentially the Warriors’ backup center. – Marcus Thompson II, senior columnist

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(Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)