Gobert (finger) played off the bench during France's 73-69 semifinal win over Germany, seeing five minutes and posting zero points (0-1 FG), one rebound and one assist.
Gobert saw a handful of minutes despite finger surgery, but France didn't need him much to secure a victory, getting a big performance from Guerschon Yabusele. Now, France advances to the gold medal game, where it will face either Serbia or the United States.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Plays despite finger surgery
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Gobert (finger) recorded one rebound in three minutes during Tuesday's 82-73 win over Canada in the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics.
Gobert didn't check in until 7:30 left in the second quarter and played only three minutes. Gobert's removal from the starting lineup and lack of playing time sparked speculation. However, he announced after the game that he injured his left ring finger in practice, underwent surgery Monday and was thankful to play at all Tuesday, per Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Gobert's status for Thursday's semifinal matchup versus Germany remains unclear.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Game-high 15 boards in Olympic win
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Gobert produced seven points (3-6 FG, 1-5 FT), 15 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal across 27 minutes in France's 94-90 overtime win over Japan in the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.
Gobert was unstoppable on the glass Tuesday, and he totaled a game-high 15 rebounds. The 32-year-old was quiet on offense, but he will likely not be tasked with too much responsibility on the offensive end alongside Victor Wembanyama and Evan Fournier. The defensive juggernaut's size and ability to protect the paint will be crucial for the squad in securing a medal in Paris. However, Gobert will likely not be expected to shoulder much of the offensive workload with only 14 points in two group-phase games thus far.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Limited run in Olympic win
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Gobert chipped in seven points (3-3 FG, 1-2 FT), three rebounds, two blocks and one assist across 18 minutes in France's 78-66 win over Brazil in the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
Gobert was quiet on the offensive end, but in limited minutes he was able to make an impact on defense and shoot 100 percent from the field. The 32-year-old has made a name for himself as one of the best defenders in the world, and his ability to protect the rim will be crucial as France attempts to make a run in the Olympic Games.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Defensive stalwart for France
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Gobert is on the French national team's roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
After tying an NBA record for the most career Defensive Player of the Year awards by achieving his fourth in 2023-24, Gobert is now set to play for France in the Olympics. Alongside Victor Wembanyama, Gobert's elite rim protection should make it a nightmare for any opposing team looking to score inside.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Plays reduced minutes in Game 5
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Gobert provided nine points (4-8 FG, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one steal in 26 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.
Gobert's 26 minutes were his lowest of the series despite recording just one foul. The 2023-24 Defensive Player of the Year was often forced to play away from the rim and come out to meet Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the perimeter in the pick-and-roll. Gobert averaged 11.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 34.0 minutes across the five games against Dallas.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Records double-double
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Gobert closed Friday's 109-108 loss to the Mavericks in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals with 16 points (6-10 FG, 4-6 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals in 38 minutes.
Gobert will probably be remembered for being unable to defend Luka Doncic on the play that gave Dallas the victory late in the fourth quarter, but the towering Frenchman was having a solid game before that. He has recorded three double-doubles over his last six playoff contests while scoring in double digits five times in that span.
Gobert totaled 13 points (3-7 FG, 7-9 FT), nine rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal in 36 minutes before fouling out of Sunday's 98-90 win over the Nuggets in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Despite scoring only 13 points, Gobert connected on several key baskets down the stretch. This included a turnaround jumper as the shot clock expired, impressing even his own teammates. With the win, the Timberwolves advance to their first Western Conference Finals appearance in 20 years. Gobert will once again be a force on the defensive end of the floor, tasked with limiting both Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Quiet in Game 3 return
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Gobert tallied six points (3-5 FG, 0-2 FT), four rebounds and one assist over 27 minutes in Friday's 117-90 loss to the Nuggets in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Gobert returned in Game 3 after missing the previous contest due to the birth of his child, putting forth a quiet outing in Minnesota's first loss of the postseason. Gobert failed to reach double figures in both points and rebounds, not tallying 10 or more boards for the third time in the postseason and not crossing the double-digit scoring mark for the third time. In order for Minnesota to bounce back in Sunday's Game 4, Gobert may have to put together a much stronger showing than he did Friday in Minneapolis.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Good to go Friday
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Gobert (personal) isn't on the injury report for Friday's Game 3 agains the Nuggets.
Gobert will return to action Friday after missing Game 2 due to the birth of his child. The newly crowned Defensive Player of the Year should reclaim his starting spot from Kyle Anderson in Game 3.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Wins Defensive Player of the Year
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The NBA announced Tuesday that Gobert (personal) has been named the 2023-24 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
Gobert has now tied Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace for the most DPOY awards in NBA history with four. Gobert was the anchor Minnesota's defense, which boasted a league-best 108.4 defensive rating. The defensive stalwart's 2.1 blocks per game ranked sixth in the NBA while his 12.9 rebounds per contest ranked second.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: To miss Game 2
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Gobert (personal) has been ruled out for Monday's Game 2 against the Nuggets, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Gobert was added to the team's injury report earlier in the day due to a personal matter, and he's since been downgraded to out after Charania confirmed the birth of Gobert's first child. Look for Naz Reid, who put up 16 points in Game 1, and Kyle Anderson to see an increased workload in the frontcourt Monday night.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Late addition to injury report
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Gobert is questionable for Monday's Game 2 against the Nuggets due to personal reasons.
Gobert's partner is due to give birth this month, per Jack Borman of Canius Hoopus, so that's likely the reasoning behind the big man missing the team's morning shootaround. Gobert has the full support of his team, and it's still possible he's able to return in time for the 10 p.m. ET tipoff. However, if Gobert is unavailable, Naz Reid, who had a stellar fourth quarter in Game 1, would be a candidate for increased minutes, but Karl-Anthony Towns would likely start at center.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Efficient performance in Game 3 win
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Gobert logged 19 points (6-8 FG, 7-8 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist and one steal over 38 minutes during Friday's 126-109 victory over the Suns in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Gobert's scoring numbers have increased with each passing game in the series, though the increased offensive responsibility in Game 3 was directly related to Karl-Anthony Towns being limited with foul trouble. Gobert has two double-doubles in three games during the current series, and he is averaging 17.0 points and 13.0 boards per contest.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Top rebounder in double-double
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Gobert ended with 14 points (4-6 FG, 6-7 FT), 16 rebounds and two assists in 37 minutes during Saturday's 120-95 win over the Suns in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Gobert owned the glass in Saturday's Game 1 victory, leading all players in the contest in rebounds while posting the lone double-double. Gobert concluded the regular season with at least 10 points and 15 rebounds in four of his final five outings.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Scores team-high 21
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Gobert closed with 21 points (7-9 FG, 7-9 FT), seven rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals over 32 minutes during Sunday's 125-106 loss to the Suns.
Minnesota came into Sunday with a chance to land the top seed in the Western Conference, but they finished third after a lackluster performance at home. Gobert was the only Timberwolf to score 20 or more points, and his seven boards also led the club on the afternoon. The 31-year-old center has scored in double digits in 11 of the last 12 games, averaging 15.9 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steals over that stretch to close the regular season.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Massive output in Friday's win
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Gobert posted 25 points (10-10 FG, 5-8 FT), 19 rebounds, five blocks and one steal across 37 minutes during Friday's 109-106 win over the Hawks.
The Timberwolves needed Gobert to step his game up Friday, and the Frenchman delivered with an impressive stat line on both ends of the court, leading Minnesota in scoring and also recording elite defensive numbers. Gobert has 10 double-doubles over his last 11 appearances, including four in a row, while registering multiple blocks seven times in that stretch.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Bests Jokic in rebound battle
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Gobert logged 13 points (6-7 FG, 1-3 FT), 15 rebounds, three assists, one block and two steals in 39 minutes during Wednesday's 116-107 loss to Denver.
Although Gobert couldn't contain Jokic's scoring barrage, he fared about as well as possible off the glass against the presumptive MVP. The defensive stalwart played 39 minutes and seemed to run out of gas in the final frame, allowing Jokic to contribute nine points during a 22-7 run. The Timberwolves hope to have Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) back for the playoffs, and his presence could be the difference-maker if Minnesota meets Denver again in the Western Conference Finals.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Fills stat sheet in Tuesday's win
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Gobert posted 19 points (5-9 FG, 9-13 FT), 16 rebounds, three assists, four blocks and two steals across 38 minutes during Tuesday's 130-121 victory over the Wizards.
Gobert was impressive on both ends of the court and filled the stat sheet admirably, racking up two or more tallies in each of the five major categories while also notching his eighth double-double over his last nine outings. He has 52 double-doubles on the season.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Logs 51st double-double of season
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Gobert produced 18 points (9-13 FG), 16 rebounds, three assists, one block and two steals across 37 minutes during Sunday's 127-117 victory over the Lakers.
Gobert's 51 double-doubles put him squarely in fifth place in the category, ahead of elites like Luka Doncic and Bam Adebayo. Over 72 games, Gobert has averaged 13.7 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocked shots and 1.3 assists.
