Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were ejected less than two minutes into the Warriors’ 104-101 loss in their season championship game to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night at Chase Center after a chaotic brawl.
The altercation began when Thompson and Timberwolves winger Jaden McDaniels tangled and pushed each other as they ran down the court after a missed 3-pointer from Anthony Edwards. Minnesota center Rudy Gobert entered the fray and was subsequently put in foul trouble by Green.
After a lengthy review, the referees ejected Thompson, Green and McDaniels for their involvement in the altercation, but Gobert was not penalized at all.
after the match, Crew chief Tyler Ford spoke To The Athletic’s Anthony Slater in an interview with Pool Report and addressed the decisions made by the officials.
a question: “Why did you make the decision to fire Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels instead of giving them double technicals?”
stronghold: “Both players were involved in an altercation that did not end immediately and their behavior warranted expulsion.”
a question: “Why is Draymond Green rated as Vagrant 2?”
stronghold: “He has aggressively put Gobert in trouble and refuses to let go. This is unnecessary and excessive behavior that meets the criteria for a blatant penalty 2.”
a question: “Was there any consideration of giving more discipline to Rudy Gobert on his part or anyone else involved besides Draymond Green?”
stronghold: “Gobert was trying to separate Thompson and McDaniels and was ruled a peacemaker. We reviewed all other players and actions and did not observe any other unsportsmanlike actions.”
Without superstar Steph Curry, who was suffering from a right knee injury, the Warriors lost their best player less than 120 seconds into the game.
But rookie Brandin Podzemski and center Dario Saric led the charge as the Warriors nearly pulled off an improbable win before running out of steam in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
In the wake of the loss that dropped the Warriors to 6-6, they now have to prepare for the possibility of Green being suspended for his actions on Tuesday night. Golden State next plays two matches at home with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday and Saturday.
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