Something appears to be in the water in the NBA this weekend.
The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night by a blowout final of 101-86. But the end of the game was marred by a scuffle involving Wolves guard Mike Conley and Nets guard Dennis Schroder.
With 25 seconds left on the game clock and the shot clock winding down to zero, Conley decided to hoist up a three-pointer. Schroder took exception to the move, pushing Conley and getting into his face. Wolves teammate Jaden McDaniels then shoved Schroder away, and a small skirmish broke out.
Minnesota’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Brooklyn’s Dorian Finney-Smith could also be seen exchanging some light pushes underneath the basket in a separate incident.
Here is the video.
Dennis Schröder was not happy after a Mike Conley late three in the T-Wolves W 😳 pic.twitter.com/dZiIhYdQQk
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 25, 2024
Schroder was clearly upset that Conley decided to shoot with the game already decided and his team up by 12. But Conley’s argument was that he either had to shoot or take a turnover since time was still left between the game clock and the shot clock.
This “unwritten rules” debate is almost identical to one we saw in the Golden State Warriors-Charlotte Hornets game the night before (which resulted in a skirmish of its own). Meanwhile, Friday night also saw a big fight between the Miami Heat and the New Orleans Pelicans. Clearly, the second half of the NBA season is off to a spicy start.
