The Utah Jazz hosted the Indiana Pacers in a riveting game which turned out to be a brawl by all accounts. In the fourth quarter, Rudy Gobert and Myles Turner got into it as the Pacers big man took an exception to Gobert’s conduct after his shot was blocked.
The altercation resulted in three ejections, one for both parties who were shoving in each other, and Donovan Mitchell who jumped in to intervene. Gobert had a lot to say after the game on the beef with Turner.
“It’s actually funny, because my boxing coach was at the game. The only game he’s come to this year. … If I don’t feel threatened, I’m not gonna throw a punch. And I didn’t feel threatened. If someone wants to fight, I’m easy to reach.”
Rudy: “It’s actually funny, because my boxing coach was at the game. The only game he’s come to this year. … If I don’t feel threatened, I’m not gonna throw a punch. And I didn’t feel threatened. If someone wants to fight, I’m easy to reach.”
— tribjazz (@tribjazz) November 12, 2021
The incident escalated after Gobert grabbed Turner’s shorts as he was falling, and Turner did not like that. It resulted in a lot of shoving, with Gobert attempting a takedown before the referees and players intervened.
what did i just witness pic.twitter.com/IKkbCzDyEZ
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) November 12, 2021
Turner also had things to say on the incident, stating that he felt it was a dirty play.
“I thought it was a dirty play. … When (Gobert) pulled my shorts, I wasn’t about to have that so I had to stand up for myself in that situation.”
Myles Turner was confident postgame and shared his viewpoint. "I thought it was a dirty play. … When (Gobert) pulled my shorts, I wasn't about to have that so I had to stand up for myself in that situation."
Story coming on Turner & the Pacers’ big night in Utah.
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) November 12, 2021
The Pacers successfully held on to their lead and saw out the game despite playing without Turner. The Jazz was worse off as they lost two crucial players that could have perhaps turned the game around. It ended in a 111-100 win to the Pacers, leaving many to wonder what could have been if Mitchell and Gobert were on the floor.
Malcolm Brogdon was the star of the show, recording a game-high 30 points. Added to that were nine rebounds, four assists, and a steal.
Both teams will meet again sometime in January, with the Jazz looking to get revenge. Hopefully, this time it will be reflected only on the score sheet. Both big men are defensive anchors for their teams and were in the thick of things for the Defensive Player of the Year award buy Gobert eventually won the title.
Gobert is having another sensational season so far, averaging 15 points and leading the league with 15.5 rebounds. Turner, on the other hand, is averaging 14.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and is leading the league in blocks with 3.2 per game.
Things are starting to heat up in the 2021-22 season as we have barely moved on from the Markieff Morris-Nikola Jokic misunderstanding, which resulted in a family feud.
