Shaquille O'Neal gets 'sick' after being forced to acknowledge Rudy Gobert's dominance against Lakers

Hall of Famer and LA Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal felt "sick" while acknowledging Rudy Gobert's dominating performance against his former team in the NBA playoffs. Gobert had a monster game for the Minnesota Timberwolves in their series-clinching win in Game 5 on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

On the "Inside The NBA" halftime show, O'Neal was shocked that Gobert played great in the first half of the Lakers-Timberwolves Game 5. The Stiffle Tower had 12 points and eight rebounds in the first two quarters, but finished with a career night 27 points and 24 rebounds.

"I never thought I would say these words, but Rudy Gobert is dominating," O'Neal said while jokingly getting "sick" by almost vomiting.

Shaquille O'Neal has been one of Rudy Gobert's biggest critics, but the four-time NBA champion acknowledged the French center's impact in Game 5. Gobert took advantage of LA Lakers coach JJ Redick's decision to play the game without a center.

The four-time Defensive Player of the Year looked like a prime Shaq at times with two-handed power slams and thunderous putback jams. The Lakers had no answer for him, which was surprising since the rest of the Minnesota Timberwolves struggled from beyond the arc.

Gobert's contributions pumped up the Timberwolves all game long, keeping them afloat when the Lakers made their comeback in the third quarter and made it close in the final period. Julius Randle came up clutch, while Anthony Edwards' playmaking found Mike Conley for a dagger shot from 3-point range.

While the Lakers are heading for an early offseason despite being the No. 3 seed, the Timberwolves are facing either the Houston Rockets or Golden State Warriors in the second round.

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Rudy Gobert deflects praise for Game 5 to his Timberwolves teammates

Rudy Gobert deflects praise for Game 5 to his Timberwolves teammates. (Photo: IMAGN)

Speaking to TNT's Alie LaForce after the game, Rudy Gobert deflected the praise for his Game 5 performance to his Minnesota Timberwolves teammates. Gobert had a great night, but it was a collective effort for the entire series.

"I think we just have a bunch of guys that want to win," Gobert said. "A lot of guys who went through adversity, throughout their career, in life. We love each other. We understand that one night, it might be Naz (Reid), it might be me, it might be Julius (Randle). We just want to win."

Gobert has had his fair share of critics for not being good offensively or getting exposed defensively in the playoffs despite being a four-time DPOY.