Watch: Rudy Gobert goes behind the back for a smooth finish
Rudy Gobert went behind the back for a smooth finish in the third quarter of the Minnesota Timberwolves' game against the OKC Thunder on Friday. Gobert was back in the lineup after a one-game suspension for punching teammate Kyle Anderson.
With less than 30 seconds left in the third quarter, the Thunder lost the ball, and Gobert picked it up. The French big man is not known for his dribbling but pulled off a behind-the-back against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Lu Dort tried to steal the ball but failed.
Gobert finished it off with a two-handed layup to give the Timberwolves a 17-point lead. The crowd inside the Target Center erupted as they felt the momentum going into their favor. They were one quarter away from advancing to the NBA playoffs and face the top-seeded Denver Nuggets.
Here's the video:
Wait a minute Rudy Gobert 👀🔥
Behind the back with it! https://t.co/xYYquTE6fx
Fans online were amazed that Rudy Gobert was able to pull off such a difficult move for someone his size. Gobert has not been the most popular player on Twitter since punching Kyle Anderson on Sunday.
Nevertheless, here are some of the best reactions to Gobert's behind-the-back move:
@TheHoopCentral Rudy when he seen Shai on him https://t.co/kTveoFUCBa
@TheHoopCentral Getting shook by Gobert.. https://t.co/RM4YKMEXlK
@TheHoopCentral shai should just retire after cooked by gobert of all people😭😭😭
@TheHoopCentral He been in the lab after that suspension 🔥
@TheHoopCentral His bag deeper then Run&Dunk’s
Gobert addressed the situation between him and Kyle Anderson on Thursday. He told reporters (h/t Dave Campbell of the Associated Press) on Thursday that he has mended his relationship with Anderson.
The three-time Defensive Player of the year explained that fighting is common among teammates. He has apologized to Anderson and both have moved on to help the Timberwolves progress into the postseason.
"We both apologized to each other, and you move on," Gobert said. "That’s life. It's different when you have millions of people all watching videos and have an opinion on things that happened, but that we can’t control. What we can control is the respect that we have for each other and our relationship. I still love Kyle."
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Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves move on to face Nuggets in first round
Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves have qualified for the 2023 NBA playoffs as the eighth seed. The Timberwolves eliminated the OKC Thunder in their do-or-die play-in matchup on Friday.
Karl-Anthony Towns was simply too good for the young Thunder in the Timberwolves' 120-95 win. He finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. Gobert had 21 points and ten rebounds, while Anthony Edwards contributed 19 points, ten rebounds and six assists.
Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 22 points, but shot just 5-for-19 from the field. Josh Giddey had one of his worst games of the season, finishing with just six points on 2-for-13 shooting from the field.
While the Thunder are eliminated from postseason contention, the Timberwolves travel to Denver on Sunday to face the top-seeded Nuggets. Minnesota and Denver split the season series, making it an interesting matchup.
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