Taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves for the second time in three nights, the Warriors were looking to get back on track and improve to 2-0 in group play of this season's inaugural in-season tournament. Already without Stephen Curry due to a knee injury and taking on the NBA's top rated defense, the Golden State Warriors ended up being without Klay Thompson and Draymond Green after just two minutes into Tuesday night's game due to an altercation that broke out.

Thompson and Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels got tangled up with one another after a missed three-point attempt by Anthony Edwards. Klay's hand was on McDaniels' chest, which the 23-year-old took exception to and immediately grabbed the top of Thompson's jersey.

This led to the two running towards midcourt holding onto one another and shoving back and forth. The two teams came together after McDaniels ripped Thompson jersey. Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert then got involved, putting his arms around the Warriors' veteran guard to try and break things up. Green took exception to Gobert putting his hands on Thompson and immediate dragged Gobert off the pile in a headlock. After a lengthy review, the referees ejected Thompson, Green, and McDaniels.

Crew chief Tyler Ford was questioned about the ejections in the Pool Report after the game and Ford made it clear that Thompson and McDaniels were issued double technical fouls as a result of both players being involved in the altercation and not trying to “dissolve” the action. As for Green, he was ejected for what the referees viewed to be “unnecessary and excessive conduct.”

“He aggressively put Gobert in a headlock and refuses to let go,” Ford said. “This is unnecessary and excessive conduct which meets the standard for a flagrant foul penalty 2.”

It is worth noting that Ford said Gobert was not ejected for his part in the altercation because they felt like he was being a “peacemaker” by trying to separate Thompson and McDaniels. The Warriors seem to think differently about the situation.

“There's no way Klay Thompson should've been thrown out of the game. I mean he's running up the floor and the guy grabs his jersey and he's pulling on him, so Klay pulls back. No way Klay should've been ejected; that was ridiculous. So I was upset about that,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stated after the game. “And then the Draymond piece of it, if you watch the replay, Rudy had his hands on Klay's neck, and that's why Draymond went after Rudy.”

As a result of players being ejected from the game, the NBA league office will automatically review every angle of the altercation that broke out in San Francisco on Tuesday night in order to assess if further penalties will be handed out.

This leads to the question everyone wants answers to: “Will Klay Thompson or Draymond Green be suspended?”

Possible suspensions for Thompson, Green

This is not the first time Draymond Green has found himself make headlines for an altercation that occurred on the court. In fact, this is the 18th time in Draymond's career, including the playoffs, that he has been ejected from a game.

Green's extensive history of antics on the court and his previous four suspensions could absolutely play a factor in further discipline for what happened against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night. When Green stomped on Sacramento Kings All-Star Domantas Sabonis in the playoffs last season, he was suspended one game as a result of the league office taking all of his previous technical fouls, flagrant fouls, and ejections into account.

A fine is absolutely coming Green's way for being involved in the altercation with Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels, but will he ultimately be suspended even though he did not initiate what happened?

It's certainly possible that Green could be suspended anywhere from one game to five games based on how the league views the headlock he put Rudy Gobert in. In 2021, the league suspended Detroit Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart two games for escalating an on-court altercation and aggressively pursuing Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. A similar approach could be followed here with the NBA claiming Green escalated the altercation between the Warriors and Timberwolves by aggressively putting his hands on Gobert.

For Thompson and McDaniels, they will either serve no suspension or they will both be suspended one game by the league. While a punch was not necessarily thrown, the two players did exchange shoves above the shoulders and forcefully extended their arms at one another. Whether or not the league insinuates this as a punch from McDaniels or Thompson is yet to be seen, but there are specific rules in place if punches are thrown.

Per NBA rules: “Any player who throws a punch, whether it connects or not, has committed an unsportsmanlike act. He will be ejected following confirmation during review by instant replay and suspended for a minimum of one game. This rule applies whether play is in progress or the ball is dead. In the case where one punching foul is followed by another, all aspects of the rule are applied in both cases, and the team last offended is awarded possession on the sideline at the free throw line extended in the frontcourt. A fine not exceeding $50,000 and/or suspension may be imposed upon such player(s) by the Commissioner at his sole discretion.”

Ultimately, a decision for any suspensions is going to come down to what NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver think. It's possible that all three players could be suspended one extra game. It is also possible that Thompson and McDaniels receive no further suspension while Green faces a potential suspension for escalating the issue.

One thing that is certain is that Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Jaden McDaniels will be fined, Rudy Gobert may face some penalties, and everyone will be glued to the next matchup between the Warriors and Timberwolves on March 24.