The Minnesota Timberwolves welcomed the Los Angeles Lakers into Target Center on Saturday night. With LeBron James looking to celebrate his 39th birthday with a win, the Timberwolves did all they could to shut down those aspirations. In a gruesome back-and-forth battle, the Wolves outlasted the Lakers, 108-106, with a controversial call in Minnesota's favor closing out the game.
Lakers star Anthony Davis got off to a hot start by posting a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double in the first-half. After the game, Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert praised the Lakers’ talented big while sharing his focus on closing the game for Minnesota.
Rudy Gobert praises Anthony Davis
AD’s stellar first-half performance sparked the Lakers early on as they hung tight with Minnesota through the first 24 minutes. Davis continued his strong play in the second half, but at a notably diminished pace. Finishing with a game-high 33 points on 12–of-17 shooting, Davis’ talent was on full display. Postgame, Rudy Gobert shared how tough of a task limiting AD can be.
“He’s such a unique player. Yeah, I try to make him work. I try to make things difficult for him. He’s able to get it going at times. I wasn’t happy with how I guarded him in the first half. I liked the way I picked it up throughout the game.”
To Gobert’s point, it’s the second time this month that Davis caught fire early against Minnesota, but cooled off significantly in the second half. While AD is a stunning offensive talent, the Stifle Tower held him to just 12 points in the second half and no points in the final three minutes of a back-and-forth game. The current favorite for Defensive Player of the Year got the last laugh as Minnesota outplayed Los Angeles in clutch time.
In the past, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch has called Gobert their “closer on the defensive end.” Closing out games as a defensive stalwart is a real rarity in the NBA, but the moniker fits the seven-footer well. Gobert impacted the final Lakers’ possession with a chance to send the game to overtime. Gobert shared his thoughts as LeBron James caught the ball.
“When I saw him catch the ball, my mind was ‘he’s going to shoot a turnaround fadeaway.’ So I ran there to maybe try to block that. I think he saw me at the last second. Then he tried to step through and then there was no more time.”
The league’s best defense relies heavily on their anchor. At the end of the day, he shows up big time by dissuading those he’s defending. On the night, Gobert recorded two steals and one blocked shot adding to his DPOY campaign.
Gobert’s offensive impact
On top of what the Timberwolves big man does on the defensive end, his offensive skill set often gets overlooked. While Rudy Gobert might not have the flashiest game, he’s very consistent in his role. A high-level rebounder and elite screen-setter, Gobert contributes to Minnesota’s lesser structured offense. For a team that doesn’t rely much on set plays, his ability to create extra possessions and open opportunities for his teammates is huge.
On the night, the multi-time All-Star secured four offensive boards for a total of 13 rebounds. These extra chances contributed to his scoring with numerous putback dunks. On the night, Gobert shot 6-of-7 from the field for 13 points.
The subtle nuances in Gobert’s offensive impact often go unnoticed by the casual observer. The stats, however, often mirror the eye test when it comes to his importance to winning. The Timberwolves big man had a game-high +19 plus-minus. Down the stretch, Minnesota leaned again on Mike Conley and Anthony Edwards using Gobert as a screener. His willingness to help the team without having the ball goes a long way in amplifying Minnesota’s on-ball talent.
Gobert praised the backcourt combo of Edwards and Conley postgame.
“It’s not too bad,” Gobert said in jest, “I can’t complain. But, I like the way we executed. Putting the ball in Mike’s hands a little more… I’m always able to give Mike an advantage. So once we get an advantage, it’s all about him making the right play and then making the shot or finishing at the rim.”
Gobert’s confidence in the backcourt is not misplaced. Edwards poured in 11 fourth-quarter points as he went nuclear with his shotmaking. Conley helped seal the game with a clutch corner trey. With Minnesota’s collection of talent, players like Gobert contribute greatly to winning in small, often unseen, ways allowing others to seal the deal.
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