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Pistons-Timberwolves Altercation Leads To Seven Ejections

March 30th, 2025 at 7:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A fight that spilled into the stands marred the Pistons–Timberwolves game on Sunday with five players, Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and a Minnesota assistant coach getting ejected.

The altercation occurred with 8:36 remaining in the second quarter. Timberwolves big man Naz Reid was driving to the basket and Pistons rookie forward Ron Holland tried to swipe at the ball. Holland was called for a foul and Reid immediately confronted Holland, pointing his finger at Holland. Minnesota guard Donte DiVincenzo also confronted and pushed Holland, leading to a scrum that spilled into the stands along the baseline.

All the players on the court headed toward the stands and members of both coaching staffs came out to try to separate the competitors. The officiating crew, with assistance from the league’s replay center, chose to eject Holland, Isaiah Stewart and Marcus Sasser from the Pistons side and DiVincenzo, Reid and assistant coach Pablo Prigioni from the Timberwolves, along with an incredulous Bickerstaff. Luke Walton took over as Detroit’s coach for the remainder of the contest.

A replay of the fight, posted by House of Highlights on Youtube, can be found here.

Tensions were heightened moments earlier when Stewart and Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert had an angry exchange.

Fines and potential suspensions are likely for both teams, who are battling for playoff position. The Pistons are fifth in the Eastern Conference and looking to move up one spot, which would give them home court advantage in the first round.

Minnesota entered the game tied for seventh place in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves are looking to move up at least one notch and avoid the play-in tournament.

Northwest Notes: Gobert, Watson, Henderson, Hartenstein

March 30th, 2025 at 5:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Which team does Rudy Gobert believe is Minnesota’s toughest foe? The Timberwolves, he told Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

“We are our biggest opponent,” Gobert said. “We get a little complacent. When people start saying we’re good and when the odds are with us, that’s when we’re not as a good.”

As the postseason approaches, Gobert says his team’s success is predicated on preparation.

“We’ve been through it for the last few years, so by now we know that it’s just about us, our approach,” Gobert said. “It doesn’t just start at the tip-off of the game. It starts right now, how we recover, the work that we put in tomorrow. We all know the things we need to do to be at our best and try to be consistent.”

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Peyton Watson calls himself a gamer. The Nuggets wing is embracing the challenge of being a defensive stopper, he told Luca Evans of The Denver Post. “I mean, I think just as – about as confident as any guy in the league right now,” Watson said. “I think that I have the ability, on a night-to-night basis, to slow a lot of guys down and cut their water off. And I’m just trying to get better at doing that as consistently as possible.”
Portland guard Scoot Henderson is in the NBA’s concussion protocol, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link). He was among several Trail Blazers regulars who didn’t play against the Knicks on Sunday.
Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein missed the second half of their win over Indiana on Saturday with left hip soreness, according to Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. Hartenstein played 14 minutes, scoring four points. He recorded double-doubles in five of the previous six games. The veteran center is listed as questionable to play on Monday against Chicago, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman tweets.

Wolves Didn’t Offer Jaden McDaniels In Kevin Durant Trade Talks

March 14th, 2025 at 12:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves were aggressive in trying to land Kevin Durant before last month’s trade deadline, but their offers to the Suns didn’t include Anthony Edwards or Jaden McDaniels, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Scotto’s sources say Minnesota wanted to build the deal around power forward Julius Randle and shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo, both of whom were acquired from New York last October in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade.

The Wolves are expected to continue their pursuit of Durant this summer, but Randle would have to pick up his $30.9MM player option before he could be included in trade talks. Scotto notes that Minnesota has won the last 11 games in which Randle has played, while DiVincenzo, who is signed through the 2026/27 season, is shooting 39.4% from three-point range and averaging a career-best 3.7 assists per game.

It’s worth noting that the Wolves were operating more than $16MM above the second tax apron and Durant’s $51.2MM salary is about $7MM more than Randle and DiVincenzo combined, so they would have needed to trim over $20MM in additional salary to make the deal possible, since teams above the second apron can’t aggregate salaries.

Assuming Rudy Gobert was also off the table, Minnesota would have needed to part with either Naz Reid and Mike Conley or Reid and several lower-paid players. At least one additional team would have been necessary because Phoenix is also over the second apron and couldn’t take back more salary than it sent out in any deal.

Any version of the trade would have been difficult to complete without including McDaniels’ $23MM salary. The 24-year-old forward is averaging 12.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game this season and is an important part of Minnesota’s defense.

The Suns expressed interest in Reid during trade talks, sources tell Scotto. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has a $15MM player option for next season that he’s expected to decline, but the Wolves intend to sign him to a long-term deal, Scotto’s sources add.

Northwest Notes: SGA, Thunder, Gobert, Thybulle

March 10th, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander prevailed over Nikola Jokic in Sunday’s battle of MVP favorites and the Thunder displayed why they’re headed for the No. 1 seed in the West, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. The MVP contest is considered to be a two-man race, and Lorenzi notes that SGA and Jokic were relatively even through three quarters. But Gilgeous-Alexander finished strong, posting nine points in the fourth quarter while making several clutch shots to end up with 40 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

“It’s been very fun,” he said of the season-long competition with Jokic. “Most of the appreciation comes from, honestly, my teammates. No matter how good of a basketball player I am, if we don’t check the win column as much as we do, the conversation wouldn’t be the conversation.”

It was important for the Thunder to be able to prove themselves in a nationally televised game against one of the NBA’s elite teams. The Nuggets are viewed as legitimate title contender after winning a championship two years ago, while there are still questions about Oklahoma City despite its 53-11 record.

“We have greatness among us,” Alex Caruso said. “When we play at our highest level, we’re a great team. It’s just about doing it consistently, and matching the pedigree play-after-play with some of these top teams. From the beginning of the game today, (Denver) came in like they were playing against the top team in the West. We came in like it was a noon game against the Nuggets on Sunday. …. When we play at an elite level we’re, in my opinion, the best team in the world.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Warriors forward Draymond Green is among those who have expressed doubt about the Thunder as true title contenders, per Zach Kram of ESPN. “There’s a certain seriousness that it takes to win in this league, and there’s a certain fear you have to instill in teams in order to win,” Green said on his podcast earlier this season. “I just don’t know if they’re instilling that fear in teams.” Kram lists 22 reasons why Oklahoma City should have earned the league’s respect by now.
Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was able to return Sunday after missing 10 games with a lower back injury. He was a game-time decision and was cleared to play less than an hour before tip-off, according to Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune. “I always try to work on the root of the problem to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Gobert said. “Playing with pain is part of the game. But there is pain that keeps you from moving, or that can get worse. Right now, I feel like I’m strong. I feel balanced.”
Trail Blazers swingman Matisse Thybulle is moving closer to making his season debut, tweets Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Thybulle will practice with Portland’s G League affiliate this week as part of his reconditioning and could be cleared to play on the upcoming homestand.

Injury Notes: Martin, Gobert, Jackson, Monk, Thompson, Heat

March 6th, 2025 at 10:06pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Caleb Martin is close to making his Mavericks debut. He was upgraded to questionable for Dallas’ Friday game against the Grizzlies, according to The Dallas Morning News’ Mike Curtis (Twitter link). Martin hasn’t played since Jan. 10, when he was a member of the Sixers.

The Mavericks acquired Martin at the trade deadline in exchange for Quentin Grimes. It was an interesting move in the wake of the Luka Doncic trade, as the Mavs sent out the younger Grimes – set to hit restricted free agency this summer – and acquired the 29-year-old Martin in the first of a four-year, $35MM deal.

However, Martin hasn’t played for the shorthanded Mavericks as he works his way back from a hip strain. In 31 games with Philadelphia, he averaged 9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 43.5% from the floor and 37.9% from three.

The return of Martin would be more than welcome news for the Mavericks. Heading into its matchup with Memphis, Dallas only has eight players fully available.

We have more injury notes from around the league:

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has missed the last nine games due to a lower back injury. He was upgraded to questionable for the team’s Friday game against the Heat, according to team PR (Twitter link). Gobert is averaging 11.0 points and 10.4 rebounds this season.
Jaren Jackson Jr., who is currently week-to-week with an ankle sprain, wasn’t in a walking boot and was moving around well on the Grizzlies‘ bench, according to Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com (Twitter link). While nothing is confirmed, those are good signs for the star big man to be back on the shorter end of that timetable.
Kings guard Malik Monk is day-to-day with a right toe sprain, according to the Kings (Twitter link via Andscape’s Marc J. Spears). He’s out for at least Sacramento’s game against the Spurs on Friday and will be evaluated on a daily basis afterward.
J.B. Bickerstaff said Ausar Thompson is no longer on a minutes restriction, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). The young Pistons forward has improved his conditioning in recent weeks. “(Monday’s game vs.) Utah was the first time he reached 30 minutes in a game, and doing it in a high altitude shows how far he’s come,” Bickerstaff said.
The Heat have been down multiple starters and rotation players during the past two games due to injuries and illnesses. However, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, they should be getting reinforcements soon. Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Andrew Wiggins were all upgraded to questionable for Friday’s matchup against the Wolves. Kel’el Ware remains out and Alec Burks was downgraded to questionable. The Heat have assigned Josh Christopher to the G League, which may be a sign that the team expects to have more players available on Friday.

Julius Randle Ready To Return After 13-Game Absence

March 2nd, 2025 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Timberwolves forward Julius Randle plans to return on Sunday at Phoenix after missing 13 games with a right groin strain, sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

It’s a much-needed boost for Minnesota, which is locked in a tight race for playoff positioning in the West. The Wolves went 5-8 during Randle’s absence and have fallen into a tie for ninth place at 32-29.

Randle, who hasn’t played since January 30, was acquired from the Knicks in early October in a controversial trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. The 30-year-old big man has been a solid addition in his first season with Minnesota, averaging 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists through 48 games while shooting 47% from the field and 32.1% from three-point range.

There has been an adjustment process for Randle while learning to play alongside Rudy Gobert, but Towns went through the same experience after Gobert was acquired from Utah.

Randle has been able to bounce back from the shoulder injury that limited him to 46 games in 2023/24 and ended his season early. Before the groin issue, he hadn’t missed a game since coming to Minnesota.

Randle’s future with the Wolves beyond this season remains uncertain, as he holds a $30.9MM player option for 2025/26. There was some trade chatter leading up to last month’s deadline, but the Wolves decided to hold onto him and deal with the contract issue this summer.

Randle can either decline the option and test free agency, exercise it and commit to one more season in Minnesota, or try to parlay it into a long-term contract. Regardless of his decision, it will have a major impact on the Wolves’ offseason and the future of the franchise.

Gobert, who has been sidelined since February 12 with a back issue, is also expected to return soon as the Wolves get healthier for the stretch drive.

Timberwolves’ Randle, DiVincenzo Could Return During Road Trip

February 23rd, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Timberwolves are embarking on a four-game road tilt that tips off Monday in Oklahoma City and wraps up on Sunday against Phoenix.

Shams Charania of ESPN reports (Twitter video link) that Minnesota could be getting some reinforcements during that stretch, with starting forward Julius Randle and starting point guard Donte DiVincenzo primed to return from long-term injuries.

Randle has been on the shelf with a groin injury since January 30. As Charania notes, the Timberwolves had gone 10-4 during their last 14 contests with Randle available, including a five-game win streak.

Randle, 30, has struggled somewhat to adjust to his new environs during his first season with Minnesota. In 48 healthy contests, the 6’9″ forward is averaging 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

DiVincenzo has been sidelined since January 15 due to a toe ailment. The Villanova alum was elevated to the starting lineup in his last six games before his injury absence and averaged 17.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest during that stretch.

Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, meanwhile, has been on the shelf since February 12 with a back injury and will not be back during this road trip.

Minnesota’s injury woes and general chemistry issues have led the club to a middling 31-26 record on the year so far, good for just the West’s No. 7 seed.

Northwest Notes: Gobert, McDaniels, Nuggets, Hartenstein

January 25th, 2025 at 7:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves have rarely looked like a team that was in the Western Conference Finals last year, but they played one of their best games of the season in Saturday’s 133-104 victory over Denver, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Minnesota dominated on offense, shooting 56% from the field and putting seven players in double figures. Anthony Edwards led the way with 34 points and nine assists as the Wolves controlled the game from the opening tip.

“Number one, it’s not getting bored of doing the right thing,” Mike Conley said. “We’ve had spells where we do it for four or five possessions and then we say, ‘Let’s go [isolations], or let’s try something else.’ No, just keep playing fast. Keep throwing the ball ahead, getting transition looks, just getting downhill and sharing the basketball. When we put energy to that side of the basketball, I think it bodes well for us.”

Rudy Gobert, who recently vowed to do a better job of rebounding, kept that promise on Saturday by grabbing 14 boards while also contributing 14 points and five assists. Hine notes that Gobert was able to operate effectively both inside the paint and in the middle of the floor off screens, which created a lot of scoring opportunities.

“He understands when we give it to you, you have to do the right thing with it every time,” Conley added. “It’s a hard thing, especially for Ant sometimes, to want to throw that pass if we don’t get something out of it. For Rudy, it’s just about making the right reads early, not trying to do too much. When we make the right reads, we’re really tough and our offense is not so much a stagnant offense.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Jaden McDaniels continued his recent scoring surge with 13 points, putting him in double figures for the sixth straight game, Hine adds. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch notes that McDaniels has been attacking the basket more often. “This looks like how he played in the first couple years of his career,” Finch said. “He was a lot more aggressive out of the corners, and then the last few years, you know, he was probably more catch-and-shoot out of the corners, but we see him now driving and connecting with Rudy.”
Saturday marked the Nuggets‘ fourth straight loss to the Wolves, who knocked them out of the playoffs in the second round last season, observes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Aaron Gordon explained why Minnesota is a difficult matchup. “They have big wings. They’ve got a big center. Big power forward,” Gordon said. “They’ve got good size and good skill, so this is a very physical team, and you’ve gotta match their physicality. Even Ant, he’s a big two-guard. So just to have a chance with that team, you’ve gotta match their physicality first.”
Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein is expected to return to action Sunday against Portland, tweets Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. Hartenstein missed five games with a strained left calf.

Northwest Notes: Wolves, DiVincenzo, Henderson, Camara, Murray

January 16th, 2025 at 11:06pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Timberwolves are out of excuses after losing to the shorthanded Warriors on Wednesday, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. Nearly everything went wrong for Minnesota, including a slow start to open the game that saw the Wolves fall behind 13-0.

“They came out how we should’ve come out,” said Donte DiVincenzo, who scored 28 points to go along with nine assists and six rebounds. “There’s no excuses. I think we just have to be better to start the game. We got it together. We fought and clawed our way back, but we start the game differently, this is a different story.”

Gui Santos made his first career start for Golden State and was effective, while Rudy Gobert was out-rebounded by Trayce Jackson-Davis. The Wolves rank 22nd in defensive rebounding after finishing ninth last year, which Krawczynski writes is a direct result of Gobert’s regression.

Anthony Edwards was critical of the lineup – himself included – that surrendered that early 13-0 deficit, Krawczynski writes in the same story.

“The starting five, we are terrible,” Edwards said. “Every game we come out low energy and the second group comes in and gives us energy. I would say the starting group has gotta come out with more energy like we want to play the game of basketball, like we love the game.”

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Things won’t get any easier for the Timberwolves as they embark on a difficult stretch that includes tilts against the Knicks, Cavaliers and Grizzlies. DiVincenzo is out with a toe sprain, according to team PR (Twitter link). It’s not clear exactly how much DiVincenzo will miss, but toe sprain absences are often measured in weeks and not days.
The Trail Blazers saw a glimpse of a brighter future in a Tuesday loss to the Nets, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report writes. Second-year players Scoot Henderson and Toumani Camara both recorded career games, with Henderson scoring a career-high 39 points while making eight three-pointers and Camara finishing the night with 24 points.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone expressed confidence last month that Jamal Murray would begin to silence his critics with his play and, after a season-high 45 points from the Kentucky product on Tuesday, Malone defended his guard again. “I think the microscope on Jamal is a little intense,” Malone said, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “Everybody’s just got to kind let the kid breathe a little bit. He’s not perfect. And if you look, I think his overall stats as of recently, he’s been very good for us.“

Northwest Notes: Reath, Hendricks, DiVincenzo, Wolves

December 5th, 2024 at 5:31pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The restrictions imposed by the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement and tax apron rules will likely inspire teams to get creative on the trade market this season, insider Jake Fischer writes for The Stein Line. Second-apron teams like Milwaukee and Phoenix are among those likely to scour the trade market for players whose contracts can be acquired using the minimum salary exception or by using an outgoing minimum-salary player for matching purposes.

Trail Blazers center Duop Reath is one such player who has come up in trade chatter across the league, Fischer writes. Reath is on a three-year contract, so he can’t be absorbed using the minimum salary exception, but because his cap hit is just $2.05MM, any team (regardless of its proximity to the aprons) could legally acquire him by sending out a veteran on a one-year, minimum-salary contract ($2.09MM).

“He’s really interesting,” one Western Conference executive said to Fischer.

Reath is firmly behind all of Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams III and Donovan Clingan in Portland’s rotation. If none of those players are on the move, Reath could be gettable at or before the trade deadline after flashing in each of his first two seasons. Reath is also on the books for $2.2MM next season.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Jazz second-year forward Taylor Hendricks suffered a freak injury in his third game of the season when he slipped on a wet spot on the court and fractured his fibula and dislocated his ankle. He appeared in 40 games as a rookie, starting 23, but was poised for a larger role in his sophomore year and had started each of his first three games. “To feel like I’m going back to that where — I have to get ready for the next season again, and I was just getting ready for this season — it was kind of heartbreaking,” Hendricks said, per The Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen. Hendricks will be out for the rest of the season and isn’t expected to be available for Summer League, according to Larsen, who says the goal is for the forward to be ready for the start of the 2025/26 season.
Donte DiVincenzo‘s mechanics haven’t been off to start the season — he merely seemed to be in a cold slump after shooting just 30.3% from deep in his first 13 games with the Timberwolves, The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski writes. Since making five of his 10 three-point attempts against Phoenix on Nov. 17, DiVincenzo is connecting on 38.0% of his outside shots in the past eight games. The Wolves acquired DiVincenzo in the Towns trade but struggled in the early parts of the season following the move. Now, they’ve won three games in a row and the veteran wing has made seven of his 15 three-point attempts (46.7%) in that stretch.
The Timberwolves weren’t just slumping offensively in the early going, as Rudy Gobert and the overall defense was down too. The club has reemerged on that side of the ball amid its three-game win streak, Krawczynski observes in a separate story. Minnesota held the Lakers and Clippers to 80 points apiece in back-to-back games, with Gobert contributing five steals in the win over the Clippers. “This is what we’ve got to do,” head coach Chris Finch said. “We haven’t been doing that and we’re starting to figure it out and find a rhythm and understand how important defense is to us.”