A simple drive to the rim. That’s all it was supposed to be. But in a split second, emotions exploded, the crowd went wild, and the referees found themselves scrambling to break things up. By the time the dust settled, two key players were gone—ejected in the most dramatic way possible. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers were locked in a competitive battle, but what went down in the third quarter completely stole the spotlight. And now, there’s only one question—was it justified?

It all started with Andrew Nembhard attacking the paint, looking to make a play for the Pacers. In the process, he caught Mike Conley across the face. The whistle blew, but before anyone could even think about the next possession, Rudy Gobert decided to step in.

The seven-footer didn’t waste a second. He threw his shoulder into Nembhard, making it clear that Conley wasn’t about to take any cheap shots without a response. Nembhard already fired up, wasn’t about to let that slide—he chucked the ball straight at Gobert and marched toward him. Within seconds, players rushed in, refs jumped between them, and just like that, a routine possession turned into absolute chaos.

After a review, the decision was in. Gobert got hit with a flagrant 2, meaning an automatic ejection. Nembhard, who already had a technical earlier in the game, picked up another one—ejection. In the blink of an eye, both teams lost key pieces, and the entire game took a wild turn.

Rudy Gobert’s History of On-Court Clashes

And let’s be real—Gobert being at the center of an on-court scuffle? Not exactly shocking. The guy has had his fair share of heated moments in recent years, and this one just adds to the list.

Remember last season when he straight-up swung at his own teammate, Kyle Anderson, during a game? That earned him a one-game suspension. Then there was the whole bizarre situation earlier this season when Draymond Green put him in a chokehold in the middle of a Warriors-Timberwolves scuffle. Oh, and let’s not forget his exchange with Christian Braun after getting dunked on a few months ago.

Gobert plays with passion, no doubt. But there’s a fine line between intensity and overreacting, and Monday night’s incident only fuels the debate about where he stands.

With Gobert gone, the Timberwolves had to adjust on the fly. That meant going smaller and leaning even more on Naz Reid, who had already been carrying them offensively in the first half. On the Pacers’ side, losing Nembhard wasn’t ideal either—he had 12 points, three assists, and two rebounds in just 19 minutes before getting tossed. His absence meant more minutes for Ben Sheppard and T.J. McConnell, who had to step up to fill the gap.

All Gobert’s teammates hold massive respect for him and his gameplay “You don’t know Rudy until you play with him,” said DiVincenzo. “Rudy is the anchor of our defense, and a lot of stuff revolves around Rudy. But to your point about the approach, Rudy’s approach is unmatched. Daily, to his body, to getting ready for a game. So it’s really cool to see that.” Filling in for a player like Rudy is not going to be easy.

Now, the debate is inevitable. Did Gobert do the right thing by standing up for his teammate? Or did he take things too far, escalating a situation that could’ve ended with just a whistle? There’s an argument for both sides, but at the end of the day, his reaction cost his team—plain and simple.

One thing’s for sure—Rudy Gobert is back in the middle of an NBA controversy. And if history tells us anything, this probably won’t be the last time.