Despite actually defeating the Pelicans, the Minnesota Timberwolves had a disastrous final game of the regular season.
Minnesota big man Rudy Gobert was sent home at halftime after an altercation with teammate Kyle Anderson during the second quarter of the game.
But not long before the feud on the bench between Gobert and Anderson, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels expressed his frustration after he picked up his second foul by punching a wall.
McDaniels missed the remainder of the game with the self-inflicted injury to his hand, and if that sounds bad, it is even more painful when you actually watch the video of him hurting himself.
Jaden McDaniels punched a wall on the way to the locker room 😬
He is out the rest of the game with a hand injury pic.twitter.com/QVGMp1hful
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 9, 2023
After the game, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that McDaniels suffered a fractured right hand.
According to InStreetClothes.com’s Jeff Stotts, the average time lost for isolated metacarpal fractures that require surgery is typically 41 days (or approximately 18 games).
Re: Jaden McDaniel: Time lost for hand fractures depends on the bone(s) broken and the subsequent treatment options (ie. surgery) but any type of fracture is a major setback. The average time lost for isolated metacarpal fractures that require surgery is 41 days (~18 games).
— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) April 9, 2023
During the post-game press conference, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch suggested that “immaturity” has plagued his team throughout the entire season.
McDaniels’ injury is perhaps the most costly example of that immaturity.
There are only a handful of players who had more possessions defending LeBron James than McDaniels had this season, per NBA.com. Now, the Timberwolves will have to face LeBron’s Lakers without their strongest perimeter defender.
