The Minnesota Timberwolves edged out the Golden State Warriors 116-110 yesterday to continue their impressive start to the season. However, the atmosphere in the Timberwolves locker room is reportedly not very jovial at the moment despite their comprehensive win against the Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors. In other others, Minnesota players are supposedly very upset with the way their teammate Mike Conley Jr. was fouled by Warriors star Chris Paul.
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During yesterday’s game, Karl-Anthony Towns and Kevon Looney got tangled in a play that saw Chris Paul attempt to retrieve the loose ball. In the process of collecting the ball, Paul seemed to shoot for Mike Conley Jr.’s legs who was also approaching the ball. While it may very well be the case that CP3 lost balance while trying to grab the loose ball, a careful inspection of the move reveals that the desperate lunge towards Conley’s knees was probably deliberate.
Therefore, quite naturally, the Wolves were fuming after the play. At a time when injuries have become a foreboding presence in the NBA, such dangerous antics on the court is sure to upset players across the board. A recent post on the NBA subreddit highlighted The Athletic’s senior writer Jon Krawczynski’s tweet regarding the mental state of the Timberwolves players. “Wolves folks were, quietly, very unhappy with this in the locker room after the game,” Krawczynski wrote, sharing a clip of the incident with a caption that demanded a Flagrant 2 penalty for Chris Paul.
Many fans called the play ‘dirty’ and pointed out Paul’s history with such kinds of incidents.
Another user pointed out that CP3 broke the unwritten code among players to not indulge in plays that could result in serious injuries.
More fans fixated on Paul’s history of engaging in dangerous plays without caring about his opponent’s safety.
Chris Paul has a history of dangerous plays
The outrage against Chris Paul might seem like a fair one. The veteran guard seemed to dive at Mike Conley’s knees, which could have potentially caused a season-ending injury. However, the magnitude of the outrage would probably not be this intense if this was one-time offense from Paul.
On the contrary, CP3 has a history of such dangerous plays. Earlier this year, Paul’s play against Jamal Murray upset the Denver Nuggets star. During the post-game presser, Murray tried to point out the then Phoenix Suns vet’s dirty record to substantiate his argument.
That’s hardly the end of it. Last year, NBA officials deemed a play by the 12-time All-Star to be a Flagrant 1 violation. Paul had kicked Jose Alvarado in the groin while trying to shoot a mid-range jumper at the top of the key. Even superstars like LeBron James have not been exempt from Paul’s onslaught. The Timberwolves players now wait and see if the NBA decides to take any action against the 38-year-old.
