Could the Minnesota Timberwolves won the battle but lost the war against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night? The Timberwolves may have pulled off a statement 118-100 victory over the Clippers despite going down by as many as 22 points earlier in the contest, but Rudy Gobert had to exit the game early, clutching onto his ribs as he made his way towards the locker room with around seven minutes to go in the final frame.

Gobert seemed to injure his rib on a play where he bit on an Ivica Zubac pump fake, sending the Clippers center to the foul line. The Timberwolves center tried to soldier on, but on the very next play, while battling for position in the paint against Amir Coffey, Gobert seemed to strain the injured part of his body even further. He then couldn't continue, forcing the Timberwolves to call a timeout as he went straight towards the tunnel.

The last thing the Timberwolves need is an extended absence to Rudy Gobert. They are already thin on the frontcourt as it is with Karl-Anthony Towns nursing a meniscus injury, and now, Gobert looks like he's in danger of missing a few games to recover from this chest/rib injury.

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The good news for the Timberwolves is that they have three full days of rest before their next contest against the Utah Jazz. The Jazz also aren't the most sturdy of opponents these days, as they seem to have embraced the tank, so if ever Gobert needs to miss a game or two, that would be an ideal time for him to do so. (They have a home and home set against the Jazz, so perhaps he misses the Timberwolves' next two games at the minimum.)

Rudy Gobert was already questionable entering this contest against the Clippers due to a hamstring injury, so it's not like he was 100 percent before this. With the Timberwolves looking safe in the Western Conference top three, some extra precaution could be in order. If Gobert indeed misses time, Naz Reid figures to take the bulk of minutes at center, with Kyle Anderson featuring more heavily as well.