NBA
Will Rudy Gobert play against the Nuggets in game 3?
The French center, named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, tops the Timberwolves’ leaderboard with an average of 12.9 rebounds per game. He was listed on the team’s injury report for Game 2.
It’s been quite a productive week for Rudy Gobert. The towering Timberwolves center was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday and his team raced to a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semi-final series against the Denver Nuggets. After sending the Suns packing in Round 1, the T’Wolves silenced the Ball Arena, defeating the hosts by 26 points. But Gobert, who had played all of the previous five playoff games, was absent. Chris Finch placed him on the injury list “for personal reasons”.
Gobert becomes a father for the first time
The reason why Gobert was excused from Game 2 was that his partner Julia Bonilla has just given birth to their first child, a baby boy. So the Frenchman was granted temporary paternity leave to travel to Minneapolis and be present for the birth - a move which some observers criticized at this crucial part of the campaign.
Anderson steps up for new dad Gobert
Not that the team missed their top defender. He was replaced by Kyle Anderson, who finished with eight assists and nine rebounds with reserves Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker scoring 14 each as the Nuggets endured another frustrating night in front of their fans. Minnesota registered 12 blocks - a franchise record.
Chris Finch was delighted with how his team coped without Gobert, telling reporters afterwards, “We’ve had some really, really good defense efforts this year, but that has to be up there with the best of them. On the ball, off the ball, the physicality, execution of the gameplan... doing it over and over and over again requires a physical and a mental toughness. They had that. Really locked in on defense.
“Rudy’s driven a defensive culture here,” he continued. “And I think it’s a testament to his impact, his presence and what he’s infused into the team. On how important defense is and how great we can be when we play it. That aside, we expect to win no matter who’s with us and who’s not. My guys believe that. We’re very, very, very happy for Rudy but the guys are ready to go”.
Gobert’s name does not appear in the Timberwolves’ injury report for tonight’s third matchup in the best-of-seven series which suggests he will play. In fact, only one name appears in the report: Jaylen Clark, who remains out recovering from an Achilles problem. Clark underwent surgery in March 2023 and has yet to return to action. Otherwise, Chris Finch is in the enviable position of having an almost fully fit roster.