Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves had a bad day at the office on Tuesday.
In an absolutely crucial game for Western Conference seeding, the Timberwolves blew a 24-point lead in the fourth quarter to lose to the Milwaukee Bucks 110-103. After holding a 95-71 advantage with just under 10 minutes to play, Minnesota allowed Milwaukee to go on an unbelievable 39-8 run to close the game and steal the victory.
As the meltdown was unfolding, the Timberwolves center Gobert had a heated exchange with Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. The two were jockeying for position at around the three-minute mark as Gobert attempted to set a ball screen for Anthony Edwards. Gobert hooked and spun Porter around and then himself ended up on the deck.
Porter responded by towering over Gobert angrily, and once Gobert popped back up, the two players exchanged simultaneous shoves before being separated by teammates. Here is the video.
Gobert and Porter were given double technical fouls for the incident, and Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. was also hit with a technical for a shove to Gobert’s back after the initial scrum was broken up. Though that resulted in one net technical foul shot by the Timberwolves (which Edwards made), the Bucks outscored them 13-5 from that point on to win the game.
The four-time Defensive Player of the Year Gobert finished the game with a mediocre six points, nine rebounds, and zero blocks. Meanwhile, Porter ended up with 21 key points and the distinction of being the latest NBA player to lock horns with Gobert during a game.
