Draymond Green and Klay Thompson were ejected from the contest in the opening minutes of the Golden State Warriors’ in-season tournament game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. There had been a scuffle between Thompson and Jaden McDaniels, which quickly escalated and led to Green putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold. McDaniels was also ejected from the contest.
When speaking to the media after the game, Chris Finch gave his thoughts on the situation, noting how he believed the Warriors had started the game with physicality from the opening tip. Finch also shared he believed the right players were ejected from the game.
“Right from the jump, they were putting their hands on us,” Finch said. “And it got physical right away. I thought the referees did a really good job of cleaning it up. I thought the ejections were the right ones. They were warranted. I thought they (the refs) did a good job of getting control of the game from that point of view. It became very physical, but it wasn’t a dangerous and out-of-control game.”
Golden State was already without Steph Curry, who missed the game due to knee soreness. With both Thompson and Green ejected in the opening minutes, the Warriors were fighting an uphill battle, eventually leading to their fourth successive loss.
Wolves head coach Chris Finch reacts to the first-quarter scuffle 🔽 pic.twitter.com/cXa7T2eN79
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 15, 2023
Thompson and Green could face a suspension from the NBA. Any suspension would increase the pressure on a team that is already trying to halt a slide. The Warriors will be back in action on Thursday, so it’s likely we will know the league’s decision on potential further punishment within the next 24-36 hours.
