According to Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, there is no lingering bad blood between Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson after an altercation culminated with Gobert hitting Anderson in the chest during the final game of the regular season Sunday at Target Center.
“It’s over. It’s not an issue on our team. It’s been discussed with all the parties that matter. And most importantly, Kyle and Rudy moved on from it by 10 o’clock Sunday night,” said Finch, speaking Tuesday morning with Paul Allen on KFAN-FM 100.3.
The Timberwolves suspended Gobert for Tuesday’s play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers, where the winner earns the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and the loser plays Friday in another elimination game for the No. 8 seed.
“I think it was definitely about the frustrations of the moment. It’s not any sort of issue amongst our team. I know that for sure,” Finch said, noting the viral clip of Anderson kissing Gobert on the cheek during a game on March 27.
“The same Kyle Anderson walked over to the same Rudy Gobert and planted a kiss on him. These are the range of emotions that go with highly-charged competitive athletes.”
Finch to McDaniels: ‘This is on you’
Jaden McDaniels is out indefinitely with fractured metacarpals in his right hand. He suffered the injury Sunday when he punched a wall, though Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic has reported that McDaniels punched a curtain and wasn’t aware that there was a concrete wall behind it.
“Honestly, that’s probably the toughest thing about Sunday. Frustrations and the immaturity there,” said Finch. “Emotional control is a huge part of life. How you handle adversity … one thing I like to talk to the team about is how do you ride these waves of adversity?”
Finch continued: “A lot of times, when the pressure is high and basketball has always been kind of easy to you and now it’s harder than it’s ever been, it does expose some fragility and your ability to maintain emotional control. It’s part of your growth for sure. It’s not behaviors we expect, condone or ever want to see.”
McDaniels is “super remorseful” and “bummed out that he let his teammates down,” according to Finch, who said McDaniels has to “wear this.”
“This is on you. This is something that you have to change about your narrative,” he said.
