As with all games, there were many reasons why the Minnesota Timberwolves lost 113-104 to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. One of them was a hilarious technical foul on Rudy Gobert.
The fun began with Minnesota leading 97-96 at the end of regulation when Anthony Edwards missed a jump shot to extend the lead. Gobert was fighting two defenders for a rebound, was fouled after stealing the ball in front of him for an easy dunk, and was ruled to have tried a little too hard.
This was Gobert's sixth foul and he finished the night with seven points and 17 rebounds.
That was a negative for the Timberwolves. As one official discovered to Gobert, something even worse happened soon after. make money sign with hands, which clearly means the referee was bribed. This earned Gobert a technical foul down the stretch, giving the Cavaliers a chance to tie the game immediately.
Darius Garland made the free throw to tie the game. Neither team could score with 28 seconds remaining, forcing overtime, which the Cavaliers won.
Gobert never tried to hide his emotions in his postgame interview, but he later claimed that officials threw even more lighter fluid on the fire by suggesting he had been influenced by sports betting. The Athletic reported.
“I think my reaction is the truth. It's something I truly believe. Even if it were true, it wasn't the time for me to react that way,” Gobert later said. “I shouldn't have done that. I cost the team a game and obviously they couldn't wait to give me the technique. That was no good. That was immature. It was a reaction.”
Asked to clarify what he believes, Gobert said, “I made some mistakes. I made an air ball dunk. Mistakes happen. Refs make mistakes, too. But it's just a mistake. Sometimes I think we're not. I think everyone who's been in this league knows that. I think we've got to be better.”
Gobert said he fully expected to be fined for his comments, calling him a “bad guy who says what I think is the truth.”
However, he said he felt compelled to voice his opinion because “I think it's having a negative effect on our game.”
“I know the stakes and all of that is getting bigger and bigger, but it shouldn't feel that way,” Gobert said.
Mr. Gobert is correct in that he can be fined for such comments.
Meanwhile, Timberwolves assistant Mika Nori, who was filling in as head coach due to Chris Finch's illness, said: Wasn't a fan of the way Gobert's night ended.:
“At the end of the day…we've got to be better. A technical foul with 27 seconds left in the game is honestly unacceptable. Rudy is not that kind of guy, but after this game, we need to be smarter. I have to.” ”
There were many other reasons why the Timberwolves lost. Anthony Edwards followed up his 44-point night with a scoreless fourth quarter and overtime, making 0-of-8 from the field. As a team, Minnesota made 8 of 30 3-pointers, which was impressive as Naz Reid made 7 of 11 from deep. The rest of the team only made one 3-point shot the entire game.
But filming is difficult. No one can antagonize the referee after fouling out.
