Early on in a Nov. 14 matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors, Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels were involved in an altercation. But the altercation escalated when Warriors big man Draymond Green put Rudy Gobert in a headlock after witnessing Gobert put his hands on Thompson.
A HUGE SCUFFLE DURING THE WARRIORS-TIMBERWOLVES GAME 🍿 pic.twitter.com/01UcMOczs2
— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) November 15, 2023
Thompson, McDaniels and Green were all ejected from the game. But to add insult to injury, the NBA handed down a five-game suspension to Green for his part in the scuffle.
Former Los Angeles Lakers superstar big man Shaquille O’Neal recently weighed in on the Warriors-Timberwolves altercation and said that he would’ve done the same thing that Green did.
“I’m from the old school, so you always stick up for your guys,” O’Neal told the Los Angeles Times. “Like, me and you are doing the interview right now — somebody come put their hands on you, I’m gonna beat them up ‘cause you’re my guy. But you get these people who say it was wrong — like, I try not to be a hypocrite. I would’ve did the same thing. I’m not gonna sit here and say he was wrong, he shouldn’t have did it — he probably shouldn’t have did it, but WWSD, what would Shaq do? Shaq would’ve did the same thing.”
Without Green for the lion’s share of the game, the Warriors ended up losing to the Timberwolves by a final score of 104-101, which marked their fourth loss in a row. Warriors rookie Brandin Podziemski led the team in scoring with 23 points off the bench on 9-of-18 shooting from the field. Also, he grabbed seven rebounds and dished out five assists for the Warriors.
Timberwolves star Karl Anthony-Towns led all scorers with 33 points and converted five 3-pointers.
Green picked an inopportune time to pick up a five-game suspension from the league. The Warriors are reeling, as they have now lost five consecutive games following their 128-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.
On top of Green’s suspension, Warriors point guard Stephen Curry has sat out the last two games for the team with a right knee sprain. He is questionable to play in Golden State’s rematch against the Thunder on Saturday.
The Warriors desperately need a win to break their losing streak, but that’s easier said than done considering they won’t have Green — who is widely considered to be the team’s heart and soul — in the lineup for their next four games.
After playing the Thunder again on Saturday, the Warriors will take on the Houston Rockets — who have won six games in a row — on Nov. 20 and the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 22.
