The Chicago Bulls defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-101 on Sunday. The main storyline to come out of the game was Rudy Gobert’s comments afterward. The Wolves center took issue with Bulls G Alex Caruso boxing him out as the halftime buzzer went off.
A scrum ensued and the teams had to be separated before going into the locker room. In a postgame interview, Gobert had some choice words for the act and the officiating philosophy behind it.
Minnesota Timberwolves Down at the Half
The Western Conference race for the top seed is one of the dominating headlines of the final stretch of the NBA season. The Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves in the middle of this race, adding emphasis to each passing game. On Sunday, the T-wolves found themselves down 10 to the Eastern Conference’s 9 seed, the Chicago Bulls, at home. As the final seconds ticked away and Minnesota had the ball, G Monte Morris hoisted up a quick three-point attempt to beat the buzzer.
Bulls G Alex Caruso went to box out Wolves C Rudy Gobert to prevent a potential last-second putback. The Minnesota big man did not perceive any way to beat the clock and relaxed under the hoop as the shot flew toward the basket. Gobert was taken aback by Caruso’s box out and reacted with hostility. He threw Caruso around to be in front of him and began to chastise the Bulls guard. Caruso’s teammates Demar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic broke the pair up and the teams went their separate ways.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Rudy Gobert Condemns Alex Caruso
The Chicago Bulls held on in the second half and prevailed 109-101. The win helps keep them in front of the Atlanta Hawks in the East. For Minnesota, the loss sends them back to third in the West. The game had playoff implications, but the scuffle at halftime was the main story that emerged. Rudy Gobert had harsh comments in his postgame press interview.
When asked if he thought Caruso intentionally tried to hurt him, Gobert said yes. Caruso, who has no previous incidents of this nature, is regarded as a top perimeter defender in the NBA. An eight-inch height difference exacerbated the potential for injury to the Timberwolves center, something Gobert is keenly aware of.
“I had a knee injury a couple of years ago on the same play and missed a month because someone ran into my knee.”
There didn’t seem to be any intentional foul play on the part of Caruso but you can make up your own mind after seeing the video.
Rudy Gobert Threatens Action if NBA Doesn’t Act
The Minnesota center’s comments did not end there. Gobert promised future action if the NBA doesn’t step in on his behalf:
I hope they [NBA] look at this, because if they don’t hold people accountable, I’m gonna hold them accountable myself.
Rudy Gobert has been in the news lately for other disparaging comments about the league. In an earlier game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was ejected after receiving a technical foul. In response, Gobert flashed the money symbol with both hands, insinuating that ulterior motives were at play with the call. Following the game, the Wolves center had choice words for the NBA.
“Sometimes I think it’s more than mistakes. I think everyone that’s in this league knows.”
Gobert did not stop there.
“I think it’s got to get better. I know the betting and all that is becoming bigger and bigger, but it shouldn’t feel that way.”
Gobert paid $100,000 in fines for the incident. No announcement has been made as of yet for potential disciplinary action for Rudy Gobert’s latest comments.
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