Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Records double-double in loss
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Gobert registered 16 points (5-6 FG, 6-9 FT), 15 rebounds, two assists and two steals in 40 minutes before fouling out of Tuesday's 112-109 loss to the Nuggets in Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
The duo of Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns was expected to bring an imposing force to Minnesota's frontcourt, but despite the offseason acquisition of Gobert, the team barely broke even this season and crept into the quarterfinals via the Play-In Tournament. Gobert was his usual productive self as a scorer and rebounder, but his 2023 season averages of 13.4 points and 11.6 rebounds were his lowest results since his sophomore season in 2015.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Churns out double-double
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Gobert closed with 14 points (7-14 FG), 15 rebounds, one assist and two blocks in 39 minutes during Sunday's 114-108 overtime victory over the Nuggets in Game 4 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Gobert logged almost 40 minutes in the overtime win, recording his second-straight double-double against Denver. It's not easy to pull down 15 rebounds against Nikola Jokic, but Gobert actually recorded four more rebounds than the MVP candidate and was pivotal in keeping the Timberwolves' playoff hopes alive.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Good to go for Game 3
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Gobert (back) is in the starting five for Game 3 versus the Nuggets on Friday.
Gobert has been upgraded from questionable to available Friday despite dealing with back spasms. He will start alongside Karl-Anthony Towns in the frontcourt and should get the primary defensive assignment on Nikola Jokic.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Questionable for Game 3
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Gobert (back) is questionable for Friday's Game 3 against the Nuggets.
Gobert continues to deal with back spasms, but he's suited up in the first two playoff matchups. He's averaged 13.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in 32.5 minutes per game over the first two matchups in the series, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him available again Friday.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Decent but not enough
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Gobert racked up 19 points (7-11 FG, 5-6 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and one block in 39 minutes during Wednesday's 122-113 loss to the Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Gobert had a decent overall showing and made his presence felt on both ends of the court, but he's still playing a few ticks below his expectations. He's struggling against Nikola Jokic, and while asking him to do more offensively would be a stretch, he needs to do better on the defensive end. He's recorded just three blocks while allowing Jokic to shoot 51.6 percent from the field in the first two games of the series.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Available to play
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Gobert (back) is available for Wednesday's Game 2 versus Denver.
Gobert said earlier in the day Wednesday that his back was feeling significantly better, so it's not surprising to see him cleared for Game 2, and perhaps he'll be able to log more than the 26 minutes he played in Game 1. He'll start alongside Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Taurean Prince and Karl-Anthony Towns.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Back feeling better
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Gobert said Wednesday that his back is "night and day" better than it was ahead of Game 1 against Denver on Sunday, Jace Frederick of St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Despite being listed as questionable Wednesday with back spasms, it appears that Gobert will be good to go for Game 2. He recorded eight points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in 26 minutes in Game 1 while also being Nikola Jokic's primary defender.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Status uncertain Wednesday
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Gobert is questionable for Game 2 of the Western Conference First Round against the Nuggets on Wednesday due to back spasms.
Gobert continues to deal with a lingering back issue but was able to suit up Sunday. While the big man will presumably make every effort to take the floor, if he's unable to suit up, Kyle Anderson, Taurean Prince and Nathan Knight are all candidates to receive increased playing time.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Starting Sunday
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Gobert (back) is starting Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round against the Nuggets on Sunday.
Gobert was questionable ahead of Sunday's matchup due to a lingering back issue, but he participated in the team's morning shootaround and will be in the starting lineup to begin the playoffs. Over his final five regular-season appearances, he averaged 9.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 28.4 minutes per game.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Participates in shootaround
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Gobert (back) is officially listed as questionable, but he was spotted participating in shootaround ahead of Sunday's Game 1 in Denver, Mike Singer of The Denver Post reports.
Gobert continues to deal with a back issue, but given he posted 21 points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes after being listed as questionable ahead of Minnesota's final Play-In Game versus Oklahoma City on Friday, the veteran big man appears to be trending more toward probable at this point. However, if he's sidelined, the Timberwolves' frontcourt depth will be tested, as Naz Reid remains out following wrist surgery.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Still battling back issues
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Gobert is questionable for Sunday's game against Denver due to back spasms.
Gobert was also listed as questionable for Friday's Play-In Game against the Thunder but managed to play through the injury and log a double-double in 33 minutes of action. Considering he didn't face any limitations Friday from a workload perspective, it's likely he will play through the injury once again unless he suffers a setback leading up to the contest.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Quells back issue in double-double
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Gobert supplied 21 points (6-11 FG, 9-14 FT), 10 rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes during Friday's 120-95 Play-In Game win over the Thunder.
Gobert looked stiff on the court at times while playing through lingering back spasms, but he overcame the injury to finish with a double-double. The big man ranked second on Minnesota in scoring behind Karl-Anthony Towns, surpassing the 20-point mark after doing so just 11 times over 70 regular-season contests. Gobert and the Wolves took advantage of their height edge to down OKC, but it remains to be seen if they'll be able to effectively take the same approach in the first round of the playoffs against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Good to go Friday
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Gobert (back) will start Friday's Play-In Game against the Thunder.
After serving a one-game suspension against the Lakers, Gobert popped up on the injury report with a back issue that has been plaguing him for a while. He was struggling near the conclusion of the regular season, so it will be interesting to see how he fares against a smaller Oklahoma City roster.
Gobert (back) is questionable for Friday's Play-In Game against the Thunder.
Gobert was suspended for the Timberwolves' opening Play-In Game against the Lakers after getting into an altercation with Kyle Anderson in the regular-season finale but is now questionable for Friday's game with back spasms. Coach Chris Finch said Thursday it's uncertain if Gobert will be available due to the issue. His availability is worth monitoring ahead of Friday's 9:30 EST tipoff considering he ripped through the OKC frontcourt in both matchups during which he was healthy enough to play 20-plus minutes, averaging 19.0 points and 15.5 rebounds over 29.0 minutes.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Iffy for Friday
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Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said Gobert is dealing with back spasms and is uncertain to be available for Friday's Play-In Game versus the Thunder, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reports.
Finch said he is hopeful that Gobert will play Friday after the center was suspended for Tuesday's 108-102 overtime loss to the Lakers in the first game of the Play-In Tournament due to Gobert's altercation on the bench with teammate Kyle Anderson in last Sunday's regular-season finale. Anderson started in Gobert's place against the Lakers and would likely do so again if the 30-year-old big man cannot suit up Friday.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Suspended for Tuesday
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Gobert won't travel with the Timberwolves to Los Angeles and will serve a team-imposed suspension for Tuesday's Play-In Tournament game versus the Lakers, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Minnesota will have Gobert remain away from the team Tuesday after he was sent home early in Sunday's 113-108 win over the Pelicans when he was involved in an altercation on the bench with Kyle Anderson. The Timberwolves also lost Jaden McDaniels due to a fractured hand in the same contest, so Minnesota's frontcourt depth will be heavily tested in Tuesday's matchup. Expect Karl-Anthony Towns to slide over to center in Gobert's stead, while the loss of McDaniels could open up starting spots at forward for both Anderson and Taurean Prince. Charania notes that Gobert's suspension is only for Tuesday, so the center will be available for Minnesota's next Play-In game Friday or in the first round of the playoffs if the Timberwolves win against the Lakers.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Gets into altercation with teammate
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Gobert was sent home at halftime of Sunday's game against the Pelicans after getting into an altercation on the bench with teammate Kyle Anderson, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports. He posted two points (1-1 FG) and three rebounds in 13 minutes before leaving.
Gobert got into a heated argument with Anderson during a timeout and threw a punch at him, after which the two were separated and Gobert was escorted out of the arena. It's unclear if Gobert will face further punishment from the team, but Anderson started the second half in Gobert's stead. Expect the Timberwolves to provide further word on Gobert's status ahead of the start of the Western Conference Play-In Tournament, which begins Tuesday.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Starting Sunday
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Gobert (back) is starting Sunday against the Pelicans.
Gobert was questionable for Sunday's matchup due to back spasms, but he'll be able to suit up for the final game of the regular season. However, it's possible his playing time is monitored since the team has already clinched a spot in the Play-In Tournament.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Late addition to injury report
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Gobert is questionable for Sunday's game against the Pelicans due to back spasms.
Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) were both late additions to the injury report and join Austin Rivers (illness) and Jaylen Nowell (knee) as questionable. If both of Minnesota's big men are ruled out, Nathan Knight, Luka Garza, Taurean Prince and Kyle Anderson would all be candidates for increased roles.
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Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Leading rebounder in double-double
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Gobert supplied 10 points (5-10 FG), 15 rebounds and three assists over 35 minutes during Sunday's 107-105 loss to Portland.
Gobert led all players in Sunday's game in rebounds while finishing as one of five Timberwolves in double figures in scoring in a double-double performance. Gobert has posted a double-double in seven of his last 10 games, including in two straight outings.
