Minnesota Timberwolves star half-hearter Rudy Gobert is in the midst of what could be the week of his life.
In addition to being named NBA Defensive Player of the Year for a record fourth time on Tuesday, Gobert had the thrill of witnessing the birth of his newborn son and then watching his teammates dominate the Denver Nuggets in a 106-80 victory on Monday. take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.
“It’s unbelievable,” Gobert said of Minnesota’s win at a news convention on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I got noticeably tired of holding the baby and watching the game at the same time, but I had a little bit of emotion at the end because I felt like there was something special. “
Despite lacking their defensive anchor, the Timberwolves stifled the Nuggets and held them to a season-low 80 points while shooting just 34. 9% from the box and also committing 16 turnovers. Gobert, who is now tied with Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo in the top DPOY Awards, impressed by Minnesota’s functionality without him.
“The power they put in, their focus, their determination,” Gobert added. “I don’t know, there’s something special about the way they came out. And not just in the way they came out, but the way they played for 48 minutes that night. It’s an amazing day. It’s an amazing way to end the day for me and in a dazzling way overall. “
Gobert is expected to return for Game 3 at Minnesota on Friday, and he’ll get the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy in a pregame rite in front of cheering enthusiasts at Target Center.