Rudy Gobert missed Game 2 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets, due to the birth of his first child. Despite his absence, the Timberwolves blew out the Nuggets 106-80 and Gobert hilariously revealed he texted head coach Chris Finch that he might sit out for Game 3 too as they don’t need him. His teammate Karl-Anthony Towns had a priceless reaction when he heard that.
That’s the face of a man who certainly would like a bit more help when it comes to guarding Nikola Jokic. To Towns and the Timberwolves’ credit, they did a phenomenal job of shutting down Jokic and the Nuggets without the Frenchman in Game 2.
Jokic was limited to just 16 points on 5-13 shooting from the field on the night as the Nuggets recorded the fewest points they have in this 2023-24 season (regular season and playoffs). Denver shot a woeful 34.9% from the field and has now failed to hit the 100-point mark in each of the first two games of this series.
The Timberwolves have put on a defensive clinic here, shutting down an offense that had looked unstoppable for about a year or so to take a 2-0 lead. In Game 2, we might have seen the finest defensive performance in recent NBA history, but it is hard to duplicate something like that, which is why they need Gobert to seal the deal here.
In Game 1, Gobert had 6 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. The 31-year-old would be keen to deliver a defensive masterpiece on Friday to show just why he deserved to win Defensive Player of the Year this season. Another win in Game 3 would all but end the series and it will be interesting to see if the Timberwolves can pull it off.
Rudy Gobert Spoke On Winning DPOY
Gobert’s only real competition for the award came from fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama. While Wembanyama had built quite an interesting case, the three-time All-Star ended up winning comfortably (433 points to 245). Following the announcement, Gobert made a statement about winning his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award.
“It’s great teamwork. We love to give individual awards and all of these things and that’s great but we can’t do it alone and I really have a lot of gratitude for Tim Connelly, Chris Finch, and all my teammates for believing in me, allowing me to do what I do best every day and just try to change the culture here in Minnesota.”
That was a wonderful response. Gobert is now tied with Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo for the most DPOYs in NBA history. Provided he stays healthy, he might have a shot at winning next year as well.
The Timberwolves had been mocked from all corners when they traded for Gobert in 2022 from the Jazz. Pairing him and Towns together was viewed as a mistake and when the Timberwolves were knocked out in the first round last year, it was termed by some to be the worst trade in NBA history. Fast forward to the present and it is now the Timberwolves who are laughing at everyone else.
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