Things got chippy on Friday night during the Minnesota Timberwolves’ game against the Orlando Magic. Late in the third quarter with the Magic up by 10 points, things got tense between Minnesota guard Austin Rivers and Orlando big man Mo Bamba, the latter of whom was sitting on the bench when things popped off.
What just happened?!?
Mo Bamba and Austin Rivers have been ejected after this incident.#RaisedByWolves | #NBA pic.twitter.com/DkPSa9TkOH
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) February 4, 2023
While you can’t really see what happened before the camera cuts to the two teams getting into it with one another, other angles show that Rivers appeared to run down the court and make it a point to stop near the Magic’s bench. It is not 100 percent clear what anyone said that led to things popping off, but Bamba appeared to come off the bench to confront Rivers, something resembling punches were thrown, and a collection of players, coaches, and officials made it a point to break things up. At one point, Jalen Suggs of the Magic came running in and looked like he was trying to pull Rivers away, but instead threw him to the ground.
Austin Rivers and Mo Bamba trading punches, Rivers walked over the Magic bench pic.twitter.com/mqsndd3szz
— CJ Fogler AKA Perc70 #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) February 4, 2023
The Target Center Tussle #RaisedByWolves | #NBA pic.twitter.com/7DPJwnELgS
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) February 4, 2023
“The play is under review for a hostile altercation.”
Things get really heated between the Magic and Timberwolves. pic.twitter.com/IM0qY9JN5h
— Bally Sports Florida: Magic (@BallyMagic) February 4, 2023
Unsurprisingly, the fracas led to a collection of ejections, with Rivers, Bamba, and Suggs all sent to the locker room a little early. They were not the only players tossed, though, as the officials ejected Jaden McDaniels and Taurean Prince, too. And according to a report, Bamba and Rivers needed to be restrained in the tunnel, as they kept trying to go at one another as they left the game.