Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was ejected from Monday night’s game against the Suns at Target Center for a forearm shove on Mark Williams.
Around four minutes into the third quarter, Williams was going up for a dunk when Gobert extended his right arm into the Phoenix big man’s ribcage area. The play was reviewed and upgraded to a Flagrant 2, which comes with immediate disqualification.
“There is wind-up and significant impact to the ribs of Williams, who is airborne and a vulnerable player with a high potential for injury,” said crew chief Tyler Ford in announcing the decision. “That contact is both unnecessary and excessive.”
Status alert: Rudy Gobert has been ejected Monday after being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul.pic.twitter.com/Ez6PxyJyou
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) December 9, 2025
Gobert may have put extra force into the shove in response to a play that happened a few minutes earlier. A little over a minute into the third quarter, Williams was called for a Flagrant 1 after swiping down and making contact with Gobert’s head and eye — which did seem to be incidental.
With two flagrant foul points, Gobert is up to five on the season. With one more Flagrant 1, he’ll receive a one-game suspension. Another Flagrant 2 would lead to a two-game suspension. This is game 24 of 82 for the Timberwolves.
Gobert will also be fined a minimum of $2,000 by the NBA.
Before being tossed, Gobert was having one of his stronger games of the season. He had 15 points and 8 rebounds in just 21 minutes of action.
Phoenix ultimately defeated Minnesota 108-105.
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