THE Minnesota Timberwolves will look for their second straight victory on Saturday when they play the Utah Jazz. The wolves beat the Los Angeles Clippers 118-100 Tuesday. Their 45-21 record puts them in third place in the West. But their next clash could see them hit the road without Rudy Gobert. Notably, 13 of their 21 losses this season have come on the road.
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The Wolves and Jazz will face each other four times this season. This is the third installment of their 2024 clash and Minnesota has won both games so far. But their 2-0 lead will enter a tough test on March 18 in the potential absence of Rudy Gobert.. According to ESPN, Gobert is doubtful for the next game due to a sprained left rib. The T-Wolves are also dealing with an injured Kyle Anderson who is also questionable for the Utah game.
USA Today via Reuters
December 9, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, United States; Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) fights for the rebound against Utah Jazz forward Kelly Olynyk (41) and Utah Jazz forward Jarred Vanderbilt (8) in the first half from Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Monte Morris (stretched left hamstring) is also in questionable status for the next game, putting Minnesota in a triple threat situation. The injury bug has plagued the T-Wolves lately, due to which they have slipped from first place in the West. However, if Rudy Gobert takes the field, the Wolves will have a better chance of putting up a fight against his former team.
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During his nine years with the Jazz, Rudy Gobert won three NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards for keeping opposing offensive players at bay. Furthermore, he has was also named to the All-Defensive First Team six times and the NBA All-Star Team three times.
Odds for Rudy Gobert to win 2023-24 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
This season, the Minnesota Timberwolves center had a +1800 chance to win the award. However, in the final month of the regular season, those odds dropped to -900. With 12.9 rebounds per game, Rudy Gobert has the second highest statistics in the league. His size in the paint at 7-foot-1 has been an important part of Minnesota’s success. In addition to its chances of winning the award for best defense, Gobert is having another good season.
He is averaging 13.8 points and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 64.9 percent from the field in 62 games. The center has a chance to win his team’s first NBA championship in 2024. Will he be able to recreate the same playoff championship run as Nikola Jokic in 2023 for the Denver Nuggets?
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