Rudy Gobert isn't playing in Tuesday's crucial play-in tournament opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, suspended one game by the Minnesota Timberwolves. As the dust continues clearing from his sideline fracas with Kyle Anderson during Sunday's regular-season finale, though, both parties appear ready to move forward.
After Gobert apologized to his teammates and Anderson specifically following the Wolves' pivotal, drama-filled win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, Minnesota's veteran forward told reporters he's also ready to turn the page.
“We definitely hashed it out. That happens all the time in sports. I feel like people are acting like they've never seen it before,” Anderson told reporters on Tuesday monring, per Chris Hine of the Star Tribune. “We're grown men. We're able to put it behind us. We both want to win. We spoke about it that night and just seeing how everything is playing out is kind of lame, honestly. We're teammates at the end of the day. I don't want it to be a Kyle vs. Rudy thing. That's never the case. I always got my teammates' back, and we moved on.”
Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, those mended fences won't make Gobert available for Tuesday night's clash with the Los Angeles Lakers. Minnesota will also be without up-and-coming wing Jaden McDaniels, already an elite defender with a burgeoning offensive repertoire, after he broke his right hand while punching a wall going into halftime of Sunday's game.
Could Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and the Wolves beat the Lakers anyway? Of course. But Chris Finch's team is down two game-changing defenders against Los Angeles, likely forcing Minnesota to try and keep pace with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and company in a high-scoring affair at Crypto.com Arena.
The Wolves and Lakers tipoff at 7:00 (PT) on TNT.
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