Timberwolves, still blocking Rudy Gobert, put a punch in the past

MINNEAPOLIS — Rudy Gobert returned to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday after a team-imposed suspension for his first game of play, but a back problem affected his placement for game two.

Joubert was thrown out of the ring on Sunday after he threw a punch at teammate Kyle Anderson in an altercation in the huddle during a timeout in the second quarter of the final regular season game in Minnesota. The Wolves kept him at home as punishment when they traveled to Los Angeles and lost 108-102 in overtime to the Lakers on Tuesday after leading by 15 points.

Speaking to reporters Thursday for the first time since the fight, Joubert said he probably wasn’t healthy enough to play for the Lakers anyway. He is aiming to return on Friday when the Wolves host Oklahoma City in their last chance to make the playoffs, but there is no guarantee.

“I’m still very sore, still not moving like I’d like to be able to move, but a little progress every day,” said Gobert, a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

The Wolverhampton side said the air had been fresh for a long time before Joubert joined them again on the ground on Thursday.

“We both apologize to each other and you move on. That’s life,” said Jaubert. “It’s different when you have millions of people all watching videos and having an opinion on things that happened, but we can’t control it. What we can control is the respect we have for each other and our relationship.”