The Minnesota Timberwolves had a wild NBA regular season finale. While they won their key matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans to claim the No 8 seed in the West, the Wolves lost starting forward Jaden McDaniels, and centre Rudy Gobert got into an altercation with teammate Kyle Anderson.
Gobert might now face a suspension for their play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers, who clinched the No 7 seed with a win over the Utah Jazz and signed a new player ahead of the postseason.
Meanwhile, two of the worst teams in the NBA have decided to make coaching changes after their disappointing seasons.
Read on below as SBOTOP serves up all the big NBA 2023 news from a wild last day of the regular season.
Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels throw costly punches
The Minnesota Timberwolves may be without not one but two starters for the upcoming play-in tournament after forward Jaden McDaniels and centre Rudy Gobert threw costly punches that could cost their team dearly.
McDaniels suffered a season-ending broken hand after punching a wall in frustration during the first quarter of their 113-108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Meanwhile, Gobert is facing a possible suspension for punching teammate Kyle Anderson in the chest after an altercation during a second quarter timeout. Gobert has since tweeted an apology for his punch.
“Emotions got the best of me today. I should not have reacted the way i did regardless of what was said. I wanna apologize to the fans, the organisation and particularly to Kyle, who is someone that i truly love and respect as a teammate,” Gobert wrote.
Gobert – the Wolves’ blockbuster offseason acquisition – has been sent home as the team decides what disciplinary action to take.
Those punching incidents took the shine off the Timberwolves’ win, which secured them the No 8 seed in the West. They will face the Los Angeles Lakers in the 7-8 play-in tournament matchup.
However, their NBA 2023 odds of overcoming the Lakers in LA will take a dramatic hit without either Gobert or McDaniels.
Lakers clinch 7th seed, sign Tristan Thompson
Speaking of the Lakers, they finished as the 7-seed in the West after defeating the Utah Jazz 128-117. LeBron James led the way with 36 points in just 33 minutes as he went 8-of-14 on 3-pointers.
The Lakers still had a chance to climb out of the play-in tournament if the Golden State Warriors lost their final game, but the defending champions blew out the Portland Trail Blazers 157-101 to seal the 6-seed.
And in preparation for the postseason, the Lakers added two new players to their roster in Tristan Thompson and Shaquille Harrison.
The 32-year-old Thompson is reunited with James, with whom he played four seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2015-18. The Cavs made the NBA Finals in all four years and won the NBA championship in 2016.
Luka Doncic says he’s happy in Dallas
Luka Doncic has played down concerns about his future with the Dallas Mavericks after their disappointing end to the season.
“I’m happy here, so there’s nothing to worry [about],” Doncic said.
The Mavs finished 11th in the Western Conference at just 38-44, their first losing season since Doncic’s rookie year in 2017-18.
Moreover, they went just 7-25 in the last two months of the season despite making a blockbuster trade for All-Star guard Kyrie Irving.
The NBA are investigating the Mavs after Dallas’ decision to sit out Doncic and other key players for their penultimate game of the season despite still having a shot at making the play-in tournament.
Doncic finished second in the NBA in scoring this season, averaging 32.4 points per game. He also added 8.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists.
Pistons, Rockets set to change head coaches
The Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets are set to move on from their respective head coaches after they finished with two of the three worst records in the NBA.
The Pistons, who finished with an NBA-worst record of 17-65, are moving Dwane Casey into a front-office role.
“Tom is giving me an opportunity to move into the front office,” Casey said, referring to Pistons owner Tom Gores. “I’m excited to go to the next phase of my life. Time to spend more time with my family. This team is on the right track. They probably need to hear a new voice. This is my decision.”
Meanwhile, the Rockets are reportedly not going to pick up the fourth-year option on head coach Stephen Silas, who led the team to a 22-60 record – tied for the worst mark in the West.
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