Anthony Edwards names Rudy Gobert a mythical beast after Frenchman crushes the glass vs Lakers
Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves clinched their first-round series against the LA Lakers with a team effort on the road in Game 5 on Wednesday. Minnesota won 103-96 to send the Lakers packing. Minnesota's leader Anthony Edwards wasn't the one who paved the way for the win, instead, it was Rudy Gobert who dominated on the interior, garnering high praise from his All-Star teammate.
After struggling for rhythm through the first four games in the series, Gobert found his stride and then some in Game 5. The French big man scored 27 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in arguably the best playoff performance of his career. His excellent night helped pick up Edwards' slack as the guard struggled to make shots.
When asked about Gobert's contributions to the team, Edwards looked at the box score and expressed surprise when he realized just how well his teammate had played.
"Twelve-for-15 from the field, we can't ask nothing - he had 24 rebounds?" Edwards asked Julius Randle in the postgame news conference. "He was a dragon tonight. Rudy was the dragon."
The Timberwolves' win in Round 1 over LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Lakers is reminiscent of last year's postseason. Edwards and Co. swept Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns, starting the conversation about whether or not Edwards had earned the mantle of the next "face of the NBA."
Regardless of his status in the league, he and the Timberwolves are moving on in the playoffs and present a dangerous matchup for every other team in the Western Conference.
How far can Rudy Gobert and the Timberwolves go this postseason?
Rudy Gobert and the Timberwolves were not picked by many to overcome the LA Lakers in the first round. Experts believed that Doncic would have a field day against Gobert like he did in the Western Conference finals last season and that the series was in the Lakers' favor from the beginning. However, Minnesota showed that it is not to be underestimated.
The Timberwolves will take on the winner of the series between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets. Steph Curry and Co. had a chance to end things on Wednesday night, but the Rockets cruised to a 131-116 win to force Game 6.
Rudy Gobert will be essential for the Timberwolves in a potential clash with Golden State. Like the Lakers, the Warriors lack size outside Quinten Post and Kevon Looney.