The Denver Nuggets almost pulled off a first-round sweep of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday but ultimately lost in overtime.
It would appear that the Nuggets failed to follow a plan devised by the coaches for the game, as one of them was seen revealing their message to the players: “Foul Gobert At Rim.”
??? 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/sf4XEIZRIc
— 🎙 (@6ixIn6) April 24, 2023
Rudy Gobert had 14 points to go with 15 rebounds in the game but shot 0 free throws. Perhaps if the Nuggets had sent him to the line a few times, they might have won the game. The Frenchman has shot just 61.1% (11-18) from the line in this series, and a Hack-a-Gobert strategy isn’t too bad of an idea.
They managed to disrupt the Timberwolves’ offense even without it later in the game, though, as Minnesota scored just 16 points in the fourth quarter. The contest seemed to be over when the Timberwolves took a 96-84 lead with just under three minutes remaining, but their offense then went cold as the Nuggets went on a 12-0 run to close out regulation. It took some heroics from Anthony Edwards to get the win in overtime and ensure they wouldn’t get swept.
The Rudy Gobert Trade Just Has Not Worked Out
The Timberwolves were eliminated in the first round last season by the Memphis Grizzlies, and while getting the win in Game 4 was great, they are not going to make a grand comeback in this series. When they traded for Gobert, the expectation was that he would help elevate this team to the next level, but one could argue they are worse off now than they were a year ago.
They were trying to be different from the rest of the league by going big but being different doesn’t always mean you’re better. Gilbert Arenas recently joined in on the criticism over the trade as he felt it adversely impacts someone like Edwards. It is shaping up to be a very interesting offseason for the Timberwolves, as they might have some very tough decisions to make.
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