DENVER — On the same day he finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert held three-time MVP Nikola Jokic to 1-of-8 shooting in his individual Game 2 matchup.
That defensive work, which included three one-on-one stops in the closing minutes, helped the Timberwolves to a 119-114 win over the Denver Nuggets to tie their first-round series at 1-1. It was the worst shooting performance in Jokic’s playoff career against a single defender (minimum six shot attempts).
“I was lucky,” Gobert said. “A top-three defender cannot do that. So I was lucky.”
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Gobert, quite clearly, felt snubbed. He finished behind Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren and Detroit Pistons wing Ausar Thompson in DPOY voting.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama received all 100 first-place votes, a unanimous and unquestioned decision, but Gobert received only four second-place votes, 29 third-place votes and was held off 67 ballots, landing him fourth overall.
“Not the first time I’ve gotten disrespected,” Gobert said. “Probably not the last. If you want to disrespect greatness, take it for granted, whatever, soon they’ll realize the impact.”
For a second consecutive game, Jokic was quiet in the first quarter. He didn’t even attempt a shot in the first eight minutes, airballed two jumpers and finished 1-of-7 on 3s.
But he had a surge in the third quarter. Gobert picked up his fourth foul at the 7:09 mark and sat the rest of the quarter. Without Gobert on the floor, Jokic scored 14 of his 24 points in the final seven minutes, exploiting Naz Reid, Julius Randle and a frontline that was missing Gobert.
The Nuggets were up three entering the fourth. Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards called Gobert over in the huddle before the final 12 minutes.
“I told him we ain’t bringing no double team,” Edwards said. “You gonna guard [Jokic] one-on-one. Stop fouling. Stop going for the reach-in. Because he’s going to flop. They’re going to call the foul. Play him straight up.”
Jamal Murray, the Nuggets’ other All-Star, scored 23 points in the first half, jumping Denver into a 19-point lead and capping the half with a 51-footer at the second-quarter buzzer.
But the Timberwolves put the clamps on Murray and Jokic in crunch time. Gobert bothered Jokic into three crucial misses, and Murray missed his final four shots in the last four minutes, including a pull-up with 11 seconds left that essentially sealed Denver’s fate.
“We’re half the team when (Gobert’s) on the bench,” Edwards said. “They don’t understand what he means to us when he’s on the floor. People don’t want to lay the ball up around him. They don’t want to go at Rudy.”
On the other end, Edwards again battled through a persistent right knee issue to score 30 points in a team-high 40 minutes. He was seen grimacing and grabbing his knee several times in the second half but downplayed the issue postgame while also criticizing his efficiency.
“Not the first time I’ve gotten disrespected. Probably not the last. If you want to disrespect greatness, take it for granted, whatever, soon they’ll realize the impact.”
Rudy Gobert on finishing 4th in Defensive Player of the Year voting
“S—‘s ass,” Edwards said of his box score. “I missed 15 shots tonight, two free throws. I’ll be better.”
Randle added 24 points. Donte DiVincenzo scored 16, including the late 3 that created the necessary separation for the Timberwolves to win the game and tie the series.
In the postgame locker room afterward, Minnesota wing Jaden McDaniels then added an extra layer of spice to a series that is increasing in its animosity and competitiveness. McDaniels was asked about Minnesota’s offensive success and pointed the spotlight at Denver’s individual defenders.
“Go at Jokic, Jamal, all the bad defenders,” McDaniels said. “Tim Hardaway [Jr.], Cam Johnson. Aaron Gordon. Their whole team. They’re all bad defenders.”
