CLEVELAND (AP) — Rudy Gobert’s financial gesture toward an official will likely draw the ire of the NBA.
The Minnesota center said his reaction was worth every penny.
Gobert was cautioned for a technical foul in the final seconds of regulation Friday night during the Timberwolves’ 113-104 overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers when he rubbed his fingers repeatedly, implying that the Referee Scott Foster could be to blame.
After being whistled for his sixth foul and disqualified, Gobert remained on the ground and made the gesture as Foster walked toward the scorer’s table. Foster did not see Gobert, but official Natalie Sago did and released the technical report on Gobert.
After the match, Gobert, who has a reputation for being outspoken, did not deny what he had done and went further to claim that the play could have a major impact on the outcome of the matches.
“I’m going to bite the bullet again,” Gobert said. “I’ll be the bad guy. I’ll take the fine, but I think it hurts our game. I know betting and everything else is getting bigger and bigger, but that shouldn’t be the case.
Gobert’s actions and remarks will almost certainly be scrutinized by the league. He risks a possible fine and suspension.
His technique allowed the Cavaliers to equalize.
Minnesota assistant Micah Nori, who replaced Timberwolves coach Chris Finch when he fell ill just before the tipoff, criticized Gobert’s behavior.
“A technical foul with 27 seconds left, to be honest, is unacceptable,” Nori said. “That’s who Rudy is, but you have to be smart. He produced an automatic visual. He was visibly frustrated – both teams were – but we have to be smarter.
Gobert, who finished with 17 rebounds in 37 minutes, acknowledged he had to keep his cool.
“My reaction, which I think was the truth, but it wasn’t the time to react that way,” the 7-foot-1 center said. “It cost my team the match. It was an immature reaction.
For Gobert, the officials team was bad throughout the match.
“This is not just a call,” he said. “Everyone makes mistakes, but when it’s over and over again, of course it’s frustrating.”
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
