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Minnesota Timberwolves star center Rudy Gobert struggled to make his defensive presence felt during Sunday's 115-107 Game 4 second-round playoff defeat against the Denver Nuggets. Afterward, ESPN's Kendrick Perkins called out the four-time Defensive Player of the Year for coming up short in critical moments.
Gobert double-doubled with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds on 60.0% shooting. However, he was dominated by Nuggets star big man Nikola Jokic.
The three-time MVP tallied a team-high 35 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals on 57.7% shooting. Meanwhile, Denver forward Aaron Gordon added 27 points on a blistering 91.7% shooting as the Nuggets' frontcourt faced little resistance.
Gobert spearheaded Minnesota's top-ranked regular-season defense (108.4 defensive rating) all year, earning his record-tying fourth DPOY trophy. Afterward, the Wolves continued their defensive dominance over their first six postseason outings, starting 6-0.
They held Denver to only 89.5 points per game in Games 1 and 2 of their Round 2 series. However, the Nuggets responded by putting up an average of 116.0 ppg in Games 3 and 4.
Following Minnesota's second consecutive home loss, Perkins took to X/Twitter to question how Gobert's defensive value fluctuates so severely from game to game.
"I just don’t understand how Gobert goes from DPOY to a defensive liability. I mean damn!" Perkins said.
Gobert still has time to redeem himself, with the series tied 2-2 returning to Denver. Nonetheless, amid the Wolves' defensive slip-ups, the Nuggets have gained momentum and appear to be in control of the series.
Rudy Gobert defends Timberwolves' Game 4 defense against Aaron Gordon
After Minnesota's disappointing Game 4 showing against Denver, coach Chris Finch blasted his team's effort. The 54-year-old said the Timberwolves made "inexcusable plays" and "lost their composure." However, according to Rudy Gobert, the Nuggets may also have had some good fortune.
Per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, following the Wolves' letdown performance, Gobert seemingly accepted Aaron Gordon scoring 27 points on 11-for-12 shooting. The three-time All-Star highlighted how his squad tried to defend Gordon, but he converted several difficult shots.
“A lot of them were contested, so if Gordon turns into Kobe Bryant, we just got to live with that," Gobert said.
That likely wasn't the postgame commentary Wolves fans hoped to hear following a dispiriting home defeat, especially with Minnesota sitting two losses away from elimination.
Nevertheless, Gobert and Co. will look to bounce back defensively and regain control of the series during Tuesday's game 5 clash in Denver.
