The fight between Warriors and Timberwolves involves 3 ejections, Draymond Green strangles Rudy Gobert

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 confrontation, Thompson and McDaniels got into a fight at midcourt and both players grabbed each other’s jerseys. Moments later, Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert, who appeared to be trying to stop the altercation, was grabbed by the neck by Green before players and coaches intervened to stop 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.

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What exactly happened between Thompson and McDaniels?

Thompson was boxing 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 made an exception. He grabbed Thompson’s shirt and began pulling on it, sparking a bizarre and prolonged back-and-forth between the two that escalated into a much larger fight. Thompson’s shirt was torn. After review, both were expelled. —Anthony Slater, Warriors writer

The Warriors and T-Wolves got into a fight in the first 43rd minute of the game.

Draymond Green put Rudy Gobert in a headlock.

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— El Atlético (@TheAthletic) November 15, 2023

What exactly happened between Green and Gobert?

When the confrontation between McDaniels and Thompson spilled over to the Warriors’ side of the court, Gobert entered and grabbed Thompson from behind. That brought Green into the fight and he choked Gobert to get him off of Thompson. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards grabbed Green and Gobert, and tempers continued to flare. McDaniels was particularly heated and needed to be restrained by his teammates while he yelled at Thompson. —Jon Krawczynski, Timberwolves writer

Is there a long-term concern for the Warriors?

Potentially. I doubt Thompson and McDaniels will receive additional discipline, but everyone knows the history between Green and the NBA. They even admitted after Domantas Sabonis’ first-round stomp that they suspended Green one game in part because of his past. Presumably that will be part of the equation again when they review this incident in the coming days. If Green’s headlock on Gobert is deemed excessive, he could face another suspension after two separate ejections this week. -Slater

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What losing McDaniels means for the Timberwolves

McDaniels is the Wolves’ best perimeter defender. His importance to this game was reduced slightly with Steph Curry out, but the Wolves will still miss the pressure he can put on Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins. From a team perspective, the brawl definitely seemed to shake the Wolves early in the game. They struggled to calm the game at first, missing shots, turning the ball over and looking disorganized on defense, which worked in favor of the short-handed Warriors early on. – Krawczynski

How the Warriors replace Green

Green’s famous last altercation was with his own teammate. He costs him some credibility in the locker room. How will this affect his place in the locker room since he came to Thompson’s defense? Will it be seen as a good thing? The Warriors’ start to the season has been characterized by good vibes, unlike last year. Green said the chemistry last year was terrible.

Will this be a galvanizing force for the Warriors? Or the latest incident where Green crossed a line and cost the Warriors?

These figures create a huge opportunity for Jonathan Kuminga. With Green out, that’s 30 minutes of action available in the Warriors’ frontcourt. The Warriors desperately need one of their young players to make a jump, especially since length and athleticism are known to cause problems for the Warriors.

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