The NBA put forth a relatively meager slate on Tuesday night, with only four games on the schedule and most of them ending before things got too late in the evening on the east coast. That meant the last game of the night featured the Phoenix Suns and the Minnesota Timberwolves squaring off, and while it wasn’t a particularly close game, there were still some fireworks.
Minnesota came out on top, 118-91. But it was a game in which both Devin Booker and Gorgui Dieng had to miss the end, though, as the two got into it during the third quarter and got ejected. Things started when Dieng threw an elbow that caught Booker’s chin.
Finally, here's the elbow Booker took from Dieng clearing out after a rebound that upset him pic.twitter.com/5u3UcUg8lO
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) January 23, 2019
It was a nasty shot, one which Dieng will certainly say was unintentional and Booker will say was on purpose. The two did some jawing after it happened, with Booker shoving Dieng’s face.
Gorgui Dieng caught Devin Booker with the elbow
Devin Booker pulled up on Gorgui Dieng
Both players got ejected 😮pic.twitter.com/LSgJkle44h
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) January 23, 2019
Eventually, both dudes were tossed, but the bad blood between the two did not smooth over right away. Dieng appeared to tell Booker that he’d be waiting for him in the back, a proposition that apparently excited Booker. The Suns guard tried to run to the back, only a security guard was literally holding onto him, which made for quite the visual.
Dieng and Booker are planning to resolve things in the back 😳😳😳pic.twitter.com/vjRljiniqX
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) January 23, 2019
Gorgui Dieng told Devin Booker to meet him in the back and they both took off down the tunnel 😳 https://t.co/BjPwajISyu
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) January 23, 2019
This was the last time the two teams will play this season, so we’ll have to wait until the 2019-20 campaign to see if there’s lingering bad blood between the two.