Rudy Gobert isn’t really known for his offensive skills, to put it kindly. The four-time Defensive Player of the Year is the subject of constant ridicule online. and on tv In the first half of Game 7 of the 2024 Western Conference semifinals, his clumsiness with the ball and inability to make his own shots resulted in minnesota timberwolves And the Denver Nuggets’ “Get Rudy” (to kick him out of the game) trended on Twitter.
Gobert himself is no stranger to this brand, and his jumpers are so rare that he once compared hitting threes to losing your virginity.
But as much as Naz Reid’s fourth-quarter shotmaking and Anthony Edwards’ superstar status, Gobert’s defense and offensive rebounding were a big part of the Timberwolves’ second-half comeback to defeat the defending champions on Sunday night. occupied. But no bucket may have been as shocking for Denver as Gobert’s jumper with less than eight minutes left.
After catching a desperate inbound to avoid a 5-second violation, Gobert drove down the baseline and spun back in the opposite direction for a shot as the shot clock was about to expire. It’s no exaggeration to say that this is probably both the biggest and most skilled he’s ever had in his career, considering the circumstances.
From Timberwolves reserve Luka Garza reacting as if he’s witnessed God to Nikola Jokic nearly clutching his head in disbelief before writing his own words, this The clip is just incredible.
That jumper was such a rare touch from the big Frenchman that even the NBA’s official account seemed almost shocked when it tweeted the highlight.
That bucket only put the Wolves up by four points, but in that moment, momentum irreversibly shifted toward Minnesota and felt like it would be shocking for Denver.So he already lost a 20-point lead in Game 7, and then in the next game, career Shooting percentage — this is no joke — 19.5% from 3 to 10 feet, 2.9% from 10 to 16 feet hit that?It would be hard not to feel like the match is over.? Anthony Edwards agrees:
Anthony Edwards: “When Rudy hit that comeback, I thought, oh, maybe we can win.”
— Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) May 20, 2024
The ultimate come-from-behind 98-90 victory was literally historic, not only for Minnesota but for the entire NBA.
The Timberwolves came back from a 20-point deficit to win.
This is the biggest comeback in Game 7 since play-by-play tracking began in 1997.
— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) May 20, 2024
Minnesota Timberwolves advance to Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2004
— Canis Hoopus (@canishoopus) May 20, 2024
Nuggets head coach Mike Marrone took the news with the level of dignity and sportsmanship you’d expect from one of the most jovial figures in the game.
But in the end, Edwards’ explosive playmaking, scoring, and passing lane jumping will ultimately take much of the credit for the turnaround — especially Gobert’s (soft) touch foul on Jokic. After he fouled out, there were only a few minutes left — we would be remiss if we didn’t give credit to ‘The Refusal of France.’ He showed, for a brief moment of brilliance, that he might have the bag after all, deep in the warehouse.
