Timberwolves vs Mavericks: Brawl Breaks Out as Rudy Gobert Gets Entangled With 2 Stars Early in Game 5

With a historic series win on the cards, the Timberwolves have their priorities straight- win the remaining games. In Game 4, Anthony Edwards & Co. brought out their aggression and grit back into the series and opened their account in the series. Tonight, the big man, Rudy Gobert, continued where he left from with an early aggression against two Mavericks stars in Game 5. Around the 7th-minute mark in the first quarter, Mavs star Derrick Jones Jr. got entangled with Gobert when he blocked the big man’s alley-hop attempt.

The duo were spotted holding each other and the rookie center, Dereck Lively II, also stepped in to stand up for his teammate. However, the Frenchman walked away from the situation with his arms raised in the air. But he swiped his hand against Lively’s face as he walked past, setting the mood for the rest of the game.

Rudy Gobert and Derrick Jones Jr. had their rivalry brewing throughout Game 4. It even exploded during the third quarter when they were tangled up during a play. On that occasion, the Frenchman moved away similarly with his arms up in the arm. Gobert had the last laugh in that game, as they finally won a game in the series and forced Game 5. However, tonight, it could be curtains for the Wolves, once and for all this season.

The Mavs are just one win away from reaching the Finals; the Wolves delayed it with a frustrating win in Game 4. But, Luka Doncic and his backcourt superstar partner, Kyrie Irving, didn’t seem to take the business lightly, as they rammed over the Wolves tonight.

The duo put together 44 points in the first half and enabled a 29-point lead. Ant-Man & Co. has to produce magic in the second half to chase down the mammoth total.

Will Rudy Gobert save the night for the Wolves?

Heading into the locker room, Rudy Gobert dropped 7 points with 3 rebounds, making very little impact on the game. Apart from Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns‘ 24 points together. None of the Wolves’ players has stepped up in this do-or-die game.

On the other hand, the media has continuously put Gobert under the pump throughout the postseason. The Frenchman even won his 4th DPOY award this season. But, the big man’s performance on the court has raised a lot of eyebrows. Especially, in the semi-final series against the Denver Nuggets, Nikola Jokic toyed him around near the rim. Notably, the 4x DPOY, who dropped 14 points and recorded 2.1 blocks in the regular season, could produce only 12 points and 1.1 blocks per game in the postseason.

The conversations even headed to drop Gobert from the starting line-up and push Naz Reid up the ranks.

However, coach Chris Finch stuck with him for the rest of the series and won it at Game 7. The Wolves have a pretty similar situation at the Conference Finals and he has to make it big to keep the championship hopes alive.

Apart from doing it for the side, he has to do it to prove himself. During the last two months, the media has been all over the big man for his poor performance. Will he deliver for the side in their do-or-die attempt at the ring? Let us know in the comments below.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow in what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.