Perhaps he will tell his son about it later. That on the day of the latter's birth, the Wolves delivered an exceptional performance despite the absence of dad, Rudy Gobert. Last night, the men of Minnesota won again on the floor of the reigning champions, this time without their pivot.
Officially for “personal reasons”, in this case, according to ESPNto attend the birth of his son, the first child of his union with his fiancée Julia Bonilla.
His potential absence for this happy event had been discussed for a long time. During a double trip to Utah, against his former team, he was asked about being able to miss a playoff match to prioritize this birth. His answer left no room for doubt.
“ I don't think there's any debate to be had. Coach Finch and all the guys in this locker room…that's what I really like about our team, we have a level of human connection and empathy for each other that is really good. I think all the guys will clearly tell me not to play », he projected.
Considering the performance of his teammates last night, it is difficult to contradict his words at the time. To honor the possible defender of the year, the Wolves stifled the Nuggets and completely signed the best defensive performance of their season with only 80 points conceded!
The weather prevented him from returning to Denver
ESPN says the team still tried to find a way for Rudy Gobert to return in time for the game at Ball Arena, but those efforts were unsuccessful due to timing and high winds that caused delays. flight to Denver.
“ There was some thought about the timing of all this. The circumstances and weather conditions made things very difficult. I didn't think he would be able to get here and be ready to play », Confirmed Chris Finch ahead of the meeting.
Still before the match, he expected to see the Nuggets take advantage of this absence to play faster, notably with a more aggressive Jamal Murray and a more active Aaron Gordon near the circle.
Where Mike Malone, by congratulating the Frenchman, assured that this hole in the racket opposite did not change his team's approach. “ If our approach depends on the presence or absence of Rudy Gobert, then we are in trouble “. The Nuggets are a little more so today…
| Rudy Gobert | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2013-14 | UTH | 45 | 10 | 48.6 | 0.0 | 49.2 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 2.3 |
| 2014-15 | UTH | 82 | 26 | 60.4 | 0.0 | 62.3 | 3.2 | 6.2 | 9.5 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 8.4 |
| 2015-16 | UTH | 61 | 32 | 55.9 | 0.0 | 56.9 | 3.4 | 7.5 | 11.0 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 9.1 |
| 2016-17 | UTH | 81 | 34 | 66.1 | 0.0 | 65.3 | 3.9 | 8.9 | 12.8 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 14.0 |
| 2017-18 | UTH | 56 | 32 | 62.2 | 0.0 | 68.2 | 3.0 | 7.8 | 10.7 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 13.5 |
| 2018-19 | UTH | 81 | 32 | 66.9 | 0.0 | 63.6 | 3.8 | 9.0 | 12.9 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 15.9 |
| 2019-20 | UTH | 68 | 34 | 69.3 | 0.0 | 63.0 | 3.4 | 10.1 | 13.5 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 15.1 |
| 2020-21 | UTH | 71 | 31 | 67.5 | 0.0 | 62.3 | 3.4 | 10.1 | 13.5 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 14.3 |
| 2021-22 | UTH | 66 | 32 | 71.3 | 0.0 | 69.0 | 3.7 | 11.0 | 14.7 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 15.6 |
| 2022-23 | MIN | 70 | 31 | 65.9 | 0.0 | 64.4 | 3.3 | 8.3 | 11.6 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 13.4 |
| 2023-24 | MIN | 76 | 34 | 66.1 | 0.0 | 63.8 | 3.8 | 9.2 | 12.9 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 14.0 |
| Total | 757 | 30 | 65.5 | 0.0 | 63.9 | 3.4 | 8.4 | 11.8 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 12.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
