"Give this motherf**ker a hard one" - Kevin Garnett drops veteran advice for Rudy Gobert to disrupt Nikola Jokic's post-up game
During the Nuggets' massive 112-97 Game 5 victory, Nikola Jokic put the world on notice with an impressive 40-point performance, despite being guarded by Rudy Gobert, the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year, on Tuesday. Heading into a pivotal Game 6 matchup in Minneapolis on Thursday, Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett had some strong advice for Gobert to slow down the three-time MVP.
Looking over Garnett's Hall of Fame resume, he's no stranger to having a strong defensive presence. The 15-time All-Star won the DPOY award in 2000 and made the All-Defensive first team nine times. However, trying to slow down an imposing offensive big man is easier said than done.
Garnett is willing to bet on Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, who has the size to make Nikola Jokic work even harder to get his shots up. On "KG's Certified" podcast, Garnett urged Gobert to utilize a different kind of blueprint in his head-to-head matchup against the Nuggets superstar.
"You got to switch it up, bro," Garnett said. "You hear me? You got to switch it up. You can't just give him the same dose. You may have to give this motherf***er a hard one. ... You being dominated. You got to do something to even this out and be a force and be a man in there. Be big. Lord, you 7-foot-6; play like it."
After two straight losses at home to start the Western Conference semifinal series, Nikola Jokic responded by reminding the league that he remains one of the most dominant centers in the league today. Leading Denver to three straight victories to take a 3-2 series lead, the pressure now mounts on Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves to respond with a strong counter.
Rudy Gobert talked about the imposing offensive dominance of Nikola Jokic in Nuggets' Game 5 victory
Following the Minnesota Timberwolves' Game 5 loss on the road, Rudy Gobert had high praise for the performance by "The Joker," according to Denver Sports' Jake Shapiro.
"He was in the zone," Gobert said. "He had a couple of shots that I think I actually blocked and the ball went in. I mean, he was just incredible on the court, put the team on his back. Making everything, drawing fouls, get to the line. ... There are also plays he made that I think are, you know, tough to counter."
Jokic put up 40 points (15-for-22 shooting, including two 3-pointers), 13 assists, seven rebounds and two steals. There were times that he looked unfazed by the different kinds of coverages that Minnesota threw at him as he had a counter for each one.
It was the kind of performance that further highlighted his brilliance, putting forth a complete outing that checked numerous boxes in the stat sheet.
Be that as it may, Rudy Gobert and the Timberwolves may have something to say as the series is back in Minnesota for a crucial Game 6 that could either lead to another Western Conference finals appearance for Denver or the series heading back to the Nuggets' Ball Arena for a Game 7 on Sunday.