The Minnesota Timberwolves began their conference finals series against the Oklahoma City Thunder on the wrong foot, suffering a tough loss in Game 1. The Wolves faced serious challenges throughout the night, falling behind early and never fully recovering. With the loss, they are now trailing 0-1 in the series.
Game 2 is set for Thursday, and the Timberwolves will be counting on Rudy Gobert to help them bounce back and even the series. The good news for Minnesota is that Gobert is fully healthy. He is off the injury report and will be available for Thursday’s crucial matchup against the Thunder.
However, Gobert’s performance in Game 1 raised concerns. He was largely invisible on the court. He contributed just two points, three rebounds, and one assist while shooting 1-of-3 from the field in only 21 minutes of play.
It was one of his weakest outings of the postseason. A similar struggle occurred during the final game of the first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers, where Gobert finished with just one point, three rebounds, and one assist.
But Gobert wasn’t alone in his struggles. The entire Timberwolves roster had a rough night in Game 1. Apart from Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards, no Minnesota player scored more than ten points against the Thunder.
Rudy Gobert Urges Timberwolves To Stay Focused Despite Physical Play from Thunder
Gobert spoke candidly after Wednesday’s training session about what went wrong in Game 1 and what needs to change ahead of Game 2. Gobert addressed the Thunder’s aggressive style of play and how the Timberwolves must respond.
“They’re relentless. We knew that. They’re grabbing, fouling. We know that we’re not going to get all those calls. Just gotta play through that consistently. Not let a missed call or missing shots or these things disrupt us,” Gobert said.
Minnesota’s defense is typically one of its strengths. However, the team faltered in Game 1, allowing the Thunder to gain momentum and control the tempo. Minnesota now knows what kind of battle they’re in for and how they must adjust to get back on track in the upcoming game.