After Sunday, Rudy Gobert will have missed just three Minnesota Timberwolves games this season. Only one of those outings is due to being injured.
After committing a flagrant foul against Marvin Bagley on Friday, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year will be suspended for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers (barring the flagrant foul being rescinded, which is unlikely).
Due to the flagrant foul points he has accumulated, it’s the second one-game suspension from flagrants that Gobert will have received this year. Following his first suspension last month, Wolves fans dreaded the (likely) possibility of Gobert being suspended again.
It’s a shame because the upcoming suspension that Gobert faces somewhat overshadows what was one of the best performances by the 33-year-old center this season.
Gobert will be suspended for second time due to flagrant fouls
In the Timberwolves’ victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, Gobert had one of his most productive outings this season. The Stifle Tower finished the performance with 22 points (9-for-11 shooting), 17 rebounds, and three blocks. Of his 55 appearances this season, it was Gobert’s third-highest point total, tied for his third-most rebounds, and the 12th time that he has recorded at least three blocks. It's the only time that he's reached all three of those numbers.
It was a great way for Gobert to start his post-All-Star break action. Well, other than the act he committed with less than a minute to go until halftime. Battling for a rebound, Gobert’s hand and wrist area made hard contact around the neck of Marvin Bagley III, an infraction that was deemed flagrant after it was originally called a common foul.
Gobert now has seven flagrant foul points on the season. Six gets you an automatic one-game suspension, and Rudy sat out the January 13 contest against the Milwaukee Bucks once he accumulated that many. Any future flagrant fouls committed by Gobert will result in a two-game suspension.
Expect more Beringer on Sunday
With the Wolves battling for playoff positioning, they can’t afford to see their starting center sitting out games because of suspension. They sit in sixth in the Western Conference, but Minnesota is only one game behind the third-seeded Denver Nuggets. That means each of their remaining 25 games carries a lot of importance.
With Gobert forced to miss Sunday’s outing, expect Naz Reid to be inserted into the starting lineup. Joan Beringer will also likely get extended playing time off the bench. Seeing more of the rookie center who has thrived in his limited minutes this season is a clear silver lining for Wolves fans.
Gobert will then be back on Tuesday when the Timberwolves go on the road to take on the Portland Trail Blazers.