SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State forward Draymond Green will miss the next five games for his role in a scuffle during Tuesday night's game with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The suspension was announced Wednesday after the league determined Green escalated the altercation by "forcibly grabbing Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert around the neck in an unsportsmanlike and dangerous manner," according to a press release. Green's suspension, which will cost him $769,704 in forfeited salary, was based in part on his history of “unsportsmanlike acts,” the release reads.
The fight broke out less than two minutes into the contest, resulting in three players, including Green, being ejected.
Golden State's Klay Thompson and Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels were also ejected, resulting in $25,000 fines for both players. Gobert was also fined $25,000 despite crew chief Tyler Ford calling the Wolves big man the "peacemaker" in the incident.
“Not much to say,” Gobert said following the game, which ended with the Wolves winning 104-101. “That's just clown behavior.”
The game was still scoreless when Thompson and McDaniels got in a shoving match near midcourt following a Timberwolves possession. Gobert stepped in and grabbed hold of Thompson before Green rushed in and pulled Gobert away from behind with his arm around the center's neck.
Thompson's jersey was ripped during the scuffle, which led to Green's second ejection of the season and two free throws for Gobert.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr said McDaniels instigated the altercation and Thompson should not have been ejected.
“He’s running up the floor, and the guy grabs his jersey, and he’s pulling on him. So Klay pulls back,” Kerr said. “No way that Klay should have been ejected. That was ridiculous.”
McDaniels and Thompson initially collided after a missed Minnesota shot, when the Wolves forward was going in for the rebound. McDaniels said he was “just trying to defend myself” when Thompson grabbed at his collar.
There was some early aggression between the teams, but McDaniels did not anticipate the tension would boil over.
“There was some chitter-chatter going back and forth, but I wasn't taking it serious,” McDaniels said. “I was laughing. And then I guess it was just a bigger deal to him.”
Thompson and Green were not available for comment after the game.
After the fracas began, Gobert said he got involved to “de-escalate the situation." When Green grabbed him, Gobert threw up his hands to avoid making matters worse.
“My first thought was just, ‘I’m not going to fight. I need to be in this game to help my team,'” Gobert said. “I just showed the ref that I had my hands up, and I just waited until the situation was over. Nothing more than that. It wasn't a good enough choke to put me to sleep.”
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