“Totally punked tonight by Rudy Gobert”: NBA fans shellshocked after Clippers get severely outplayed by 3x DPOY

Rudy Gobert had an impressive game in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 121-100 drubbing of the LA Clippers on Monday. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year anchored the NBA’s best defense to smother the star-studded host team. With the Frenchman patrolling the middle, the Clippers weren’t their usual aggressive selves.

The former Utah Jazz star played 33 minutes and finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and a game-high four blocks. Minnesota battered the Clippers inside the paint, outscoring the Clippers 64-42. Many of LA’s inside points came when Gobert was forced to switch out in the perimeter. When he stayed inside the paint, the Clippers mostly settled for long jump shots.

After the game, fans quickly reacted to Rudy Gobert’s performance in helping the Timberwolves overwhelm the Clippers:

“Clippers totally punked tonight by Rudy Gobert. His dunk on Kawhi was a microcosm of this game. And Antman deserve to scream in their faces…because tonight they played like losers.”

When the Timberwolves and the Clippers first met this season on Jan. 14, Gobert was laughed at by Russell Westbrook and others on LA’s bench. The Frenchman air-balled two straight free throws, sparking an eruption of hilarity from Minnesota’s opponents. Late in the game, Gobert got back at them by making two key free throws to hand the Timberwolves a 109-105 win.

On Monday night, Paul George and Westbrook badly wanted to dunk the ball in Rudy Gobert’s face on two separate occasions. The former leader in shot blocks successfully managed to prevent both from posterizing him.

On the other end, Gobert punished the Clippers for trying to play small. LA coach Ty Lue tried to play an ultra-small group with Kawhi Leonard at center. The strategy didn’t work as intended as the big man was a problem LA had trouble solving.

The three-time All-Star highlighted his two-way impact in the third quarter by receiving the ball in the middle of the lane before slamming the ball in front of Leonard. LA repeatedly put him in pick-and-roll situations but couldn’t consistently get good results. Gobert’s defense even against the Clippers’ guards was something to see.

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Rudy Gobert continues to have a big role to play for the Timberwolves

The Timberwolves were the NBA’s favorite punching line after trading a ton of draft capital and players for Rudy Gobert. Minnesota initially struggled with the partnership of Karl-Anthony Towns and Gobert but still managed to reach the playoffs.

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets beat the Timberwolves but “The Joker” admitted that their first-round opponents were the toughest they faced before winning the championship. Denver had to play its best to eliminate the upstart Timberwolves.

This season, Gobert and the Timberwolves had a much better start. The Frenchman has learned to play with his teammates and his two-way impact has been emphasized again. Minnesota leads the NBA in defensive rating in large part due to Gobert’s presence.

Minnesota is looking to make a deep playoff run, particularly if it finishes as the top seed in the Western Conference and earns home-court advantage. If he stays healthy, Rudy Gobert is expected to help Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns carry the team.