The NBA fined Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert $25,000 and coach Chris Finch $15,000 for criticizing the officiating following the team's loss Wednesday night in Phoenix.
NBA fines Rudy Gobert and Timberwolves coach Chris Finch for criticizing officiating
The two made pointed comments after Wednesday's loss to the Suns in Phoenix.
March 31, 2023 at 7:47PM
The fines were announced by Joe Dumars, the NBA's head of basketball operations.
After the game Wednesday, Gobert said the Timberwolves were treated differently from star-filled NBA teams that played in major markets.
"It's not fair. It's really not fair," he said. "Every night. I've been in this league for 10 years and I try to always give the benefit of the doubt, but it's hard for me to think they're not trying to help them win tonight. It's hard for me to think they didn't try to help the Warriors win the other night or Sacramento Kings the other night. It's just so obvious. As a basketball player that's been in this league for so long, it's disrespectful.
"We understand that we're not the biggest of the markets and we're a team that – I think you want to see KD [Kevin Durant] in the playoffs, Steph [Stephen Curry] in the playoffs, you want to see LeBron [James] in the playoffs. Timberwolves are not there yet."
Finch was critical of the foul differential in the game (24-16). He referenced Suns coach Monty Williams recently drawing a fine for criticizing officials and how that seemed to make an impact in Wednesday's game.
"It works because tonight they went to the line 27 times and we went to the line 12 times. Sitting up here and talking about it or whatever, must have worked for them," Finch said. "Because this is a team that doesn't historically draw fouls at the rate they did."
The Wolves cut a 19-point second-half deficit to two, but Naz Reid’s three-point attempt missed at the final horn against the defending NBA champions.
