Eighth in the Western Conference at the end of the regular season, the Wolves will face LeBron James' L.A. Lakers on Tuesday for a playoff spot. In case of defeat, they will still have a chance to qualify three days later against the winner of the game between New Orleans and Oklahoma.

But will Minnesota be able — and will he — rely on his rookie from last summer? Nothing is less certain after the bloody blow of which the former Utah player was guilty in the game against the Pelicans, won without him by the Wolves (113-108).

During a timeout approaching halftime, as the Minneapolis franchise led 48-36, a video showed the beginning of a verbal altercation on the edge of the court between Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson.

According to the sports channel ESPN, the two players exchange reproaches: Anderson asks Gobert to counter more, who retorts to take a rebound. An insult from the American winger fuse, followed by the Frenchman's punch against him. According to The Athletic, the altercation continued in the locker room at half-time.

Minnesota Timberwolves' French pivot Rudy Gobert against the Suns on March 29, 2023 in Phoenix © Christian Petersen/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

Sent home, the 30-year-old Olympic vice-champion, however, quickly sought to reduce the tension, by apologizing.

Love and respect

"Emotions got the better of me today. I should not have reacted as I did, regardless of what was said. I want to apologise to the fans, the organisation and especially Kyle," the France international tweeted. Anderson, he said, is "someone I really love and respect as a teammate."

This mea culpa was doubled, according to Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley, with a message conveyed to all of his teammates.

Anderson also played appeasement. "We will talk about it and move forward. We are adults," he said after the match.

Kyle Anderson returns to the locker room on April 9, 2023 at halftime of the Minnesota Timberwolves' game against the New Orleans Pelicans. The altercation with teammate Rudy Gobert happened minutes earlier © Stephen Maturen/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/Archives

But, as Minnesota prepares to play one or two crucial games, it is not certain that all this is enough.

If the NBA has not yet reacted, Rudy Gobert is under threat of a suspension that could be synonymous with the end of the season.

At the end of March, the French pivot was already fined $ 25,000 for virulent criticism against the refereeing, after a defeat in Phoenix.

"No fighting"

And, on Sunday night, his franchise itself left uncertainty about possible sanctions.

"We have made the decision to send Rudy Gobert home (...). His behaviour on the bench was unacceptable and we will continue to manage the situation internally," Wolves general manager Tim Connelly said.

"We're not proud," added coach Chris Finch. "Veterans can also get upset, so I don't want to be too him. But it is obvious that we will not tolerate this kind of thing."

The Frenchman was so far credited with a mixed season, rather positive in defense but insufficient in attack, to the point of leading the owner of the Wolves to have to defend in February the recruitment of the former pivot of the Jazz, elected defender of the year three times.

From a statistical point of view, Gobert is averaging this season slightly below his best years with the Jazz (13.4 points per game compared to 15.9 in 2018-19).

Rudy Gobert before the start of the game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans on April 9, 2023 in Minneapolis © Stephen Maturen / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/Archives

His blood stroke on Sunday also refers to a previous controversy, in Utah, marked by relations with another teammate at the beginning of the Covid pandemic.

The first NBA player to contract the disease, in March 2020, Gobert was accused of negligence after jokingly touching microphones and recorders at a press conference held a few days earlier. Contaminated in turn, Donovan Mitchell had indicted him.

The Frenchman had then minimized the quarrel, arguing that there was - this time - "no fight" between teammates.

© 2023 AFP