Rudy Gobert hit the showers early on Sunday ... the Timberwolves big man was sent home after throwing a punch at his teammate, Kyle Anderson, during Minnesota's game against the Pelicans.
Gobert threw the punch during a time-out late in the second quarter when the Wolves were down by 12. Minnesota officials announced after haltime Gobert would miss the remainder of the game against the Pelicans following the heated exchange.
Kyle Anderson and Rudy Gobert got into a scuffle during a timeout😳 pic.twitter.com/y8X76TbUuJ
— Backcourt Alerts (@BackcourtAlerts) April 9, 2023
Gobert and Anderson had been jawing back and forth at each other during a team huddle ... when Rudy stepped toward Kyle and punched him in the chest.
Anderson went after Gobert after the punch was thrown ... but his teammates held him back before the situation escalated.
It's unclear if Gobert will face any discipline ... but if the T-wolves or the NBA decide to reprimand the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, it could have huge implications for them in the play-in tournament.
The T-Wolves traded for Gobert in the offseason. The three-time All-Star has averaged 13.6 points and 11.8 rebounds per game this season.