The Minnesota Timberwolves took care of business Friday evening and punched their ticket to the NBA Playoffs with a triumphant Play-In Tournament win over the OKC Thunder. Now, they find themselves gearing up for a best-of-seven quarterfinals matchup against the Denver Nuggets. Considering the Western Conference's top seed mainly runs their offensive scheme through two-time MVP center Nikola Jokic, the Wolves will be heavily reliant on their frontcourt talents to, at the very least, contain the big man throughout the series. Unfortunately, heading into Game 1, Minnesota's star center Rudy Gobert's availability is viewed as up in the air. With this, the question on every Timberwolves fan’s mind: Is Rudy Gobert playing tonight vs. the Nuggets?

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Rudy Gobert injury status vs. Nuggets

Acquired by the Wolves via offseason blockbuster, Rudy Gobert has proven to be a solid paint presence for Chris Finch's club on both ends of the floor. Through 70 games played in 2022-23, the three-time All-Star registered impressive averages of 13.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks while shooting a highly efficient 65.9% from distance. He would also finish off the year with the club's best defensive rating (109).

Unfortunately, his on-court contributions are at risk of being absent in the Wolves' opening night playoff matchup against the Nuggets, as he's currently listed as “Questionable” for the contest due to back spasms, as per the league's official injury report.

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Said ailment has plagued him all throughout the crunch time part of the regular season and, subsequently, has followed him into the playoffs. What bodes well for the Wolves, however, is the fact that despite his consistent residency on the injury report, the big man hasn't missed a game outside of his recent suspension since February 26.

However, in the meantime, when it comes to the question of whether or not Rudy Gobert will be playing tonight vs. the Nuggets, the answer is still undetermined.