Rudy Gobert sealed the win for the Utah Jazz on Saturday with a game-winning block with less than 30 seconds remaining. The 7-foot-1 big man has cemented himself as one of the best centers in the league but, according to his Jazz teammate Bojan Bogdanovic, Gobert is playing at an MVP-level.
“Every single game, he is a game-changer for us. He is playing on an MVP level right now — no more (just) Defensive Player of the Year,” Bogdanovic said per Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Bogdanovic would go on to commend Gobert on his game-winning block and defensive ability late in the game.
Despite dealing with foul trouble, the 27-year-old center was dominant in the team's win against the Dallas Mavericks. Gobert was able to put up 22 points, 17 rebounds, and five blocks while going a perfect 8-of-8 from the field.
For the season, Gobert is averaging 15.6 points, a career-high 14.5 rebounds (second in the NBA), and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 68.3 percent from the field.
Not only is the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year playing the best basketball of his career, but the Jazz have also been arguably the hottest team in basketball. With tonight's win, the Jazz have won 19 of their last 21 games and move to 32-13 on the season which is good for second place in the Western Conference.
Under Gobert's leadership, the Jazz rank fourth in the NBA in points allowed per game and eighth in defensive rating while Gobert himself ranks second among all NBA centers in defensive win shares.
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