Getty Image / Stephen Maturen
The Minnesota Timberwolves are attempting to earn a spot in the play-in tournament.
They’re currently taking on the New Orleans Pelicans in the final game of the regular season.
With that said, the Timberwolves are likely to at least participate in the play-in tournament. Especially considering they’re three games ahead of 11th place.
Even so, Minnesota’s playoff hopes are somehow dwindling. Frustrations are boiling over and causing players to make questionable decisions.
First, Rudy Gobert caught some heat for throwing a punch at teammate Kyle Anderson. Minnesota eventually sent him home mid-game.
Then, Jaden McDaniels injured himself by punching a wall on the way to the locker room. His availability for the postseason is now questionable.
Jaden McDaniels punched a wall on the way to the locker room 😬
He is out the rest of the game with a hand injury pic.twitter.com/QVGMp1hful
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 9, 2023
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, McDaniels fractured his hand on that punch.
Minnesota Timberwolves F Jaden McDaniels — who was seen punching a wall on his way to the halftime locker room – has a fractured hand, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 9, 2023
This is a horrific look for the Timberwolves. If anything, this team doesn’t seem to have the maturity to be a true contender right now.
It’s never a good thing to physically throw a punch at a teammate. It’s also a bad look to injure yourself by punching a wall.
The Timberwolves are incredibly dramatic right now at the worst time of the season.
They should be focused on winning the game and making a postseason run. Instead, tempers are flaring for all of the wrong reasons.
We’ll see if they can refocus once the play-in tournament starts. If not, the Timberwolves could have an early exit.
Look for the team to provide updates on both Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels, as their statuses are unclear moving forward.