Sources - Rudy Gobert suspended by Timberwolves, out vs. Lakers

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has been hit with a one-game suspension, sources tell ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, for his verbal and physical altercation with a teammate in Sunday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Gobert will not travel to Los Angeles with the team and will not play against the Lakers on Tuesday in the play-in tournament, sources tell ESPN.

Gobert got into a verbal altercation with teammate Kyle Anderson in a huddle during Sunday's game against New Orleans. The incident turned physical with Gobert punching Anderson in the chest as the two exchanged words.

Gobert and Anderson were arguing on opposite sides of a second-quarter huddle, with sources describing the verbiage, including Anderson telling Gobert to block some shots and Gobert telling Anderson to grab a «bleeping» rebound. To start, it was a fairly ordinary and emotional NBA huddle with a playoff spot on the line in the final game of the regular season, but sources said Gobert lost his temper and fired a punch into Anderson's chest after Anderson told him to, «Shut the f--- up, b----.»

«That's what set Rudy off,» one source told ESPN, and soon, the dispute escalated into the 7-foot-1 Gobert stepping past coaches and teammates to throw a punch that landed on Anderson's chest. The two players continued the verbal jousting at halftime, sources said, but nothing became physical again.

Gobert was sent home following the incident and tweeted an apology to the team, fans and Anderson after the game, saying Anderson «is someone that i truly love and respect as a teammate.»

The Timberwolves defeated the Pelicans 113-108 to secure the eighth seed in the West, but they will have to face the Lakers without their rim protector as a result of the