Trouble has a way of finding Rudy Gobert. Whether it’s dustups with players like Draymond Green and Myles Turner or historically quick ejections that stem from knocking a cup of water off of the scorer’s table, when a game of his devolves into non-basketball drama, he’s often at the center of the story. Sure enough, that was the case again on Monday as the Timberwolves, winners of eight consecutive games, faced the Indiana Pacers.
Monday’s incident came in the third quarter. With the ball in his hands, Andrew Nembhard seemingly hit Timberwolves guard Mike Conley in the face to create space for a drive. He succeeded in doing so without getting called for an offensive foul, but Gobert seemingly didn’t agree with that decision on the part of the officials. He retaliated with a hard foul on Nembhard — a shoulder to the head — which drew a flagrant 2.
Nembhard didn’t take that foul sitting down, though. He threw the ball off of Gobert after the whistle. That drew him a technical foul, his second of the game after one that came in the first quarter, which got him tossed as well.
In the moment, Minnesota seemingly won the exchange of Gobert-for-Nembhard. The Timberwolves trailed at that point 66-58, but managed to push the game to overtime. Once there, however, the Pacers pulled the game out with a 132-130 victory as Obi Toppin drilled a game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds. That snapped Minnesota’s winning streak at eight.
Gobert recently missed 10 games due to a back injury. He has played quite well since returning, but Monday’s outcome shows just how important he is to Minnesota in big games. They need him on the floor. That means staying healthy, yes, but it also means staying out of scuffles like this whether or not opposing players instigate them.
