Gobert demands Minnesota ties their success to the defensive end.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert had a simple message for his teammates after their dominant 108-83 win over the Golden State Warriors on Monday night.
The four-time Defensive Player of the Year believes the team needs to recognize what makes them successful and lean into it fully.
"I think hopefully we realize that this is what we need to hang our hat on," Gobert said postgame, referring to the defensive effort that held Golden State to just 83 points. It was a performance that helped snap Minnesota's five-game losing streak while showing exactly what this team is capable of when they commit on that end of the floor.
The message was clear and speaks to what Gobert has emphasized all season about Minnesota's championship potential.
Gobert Dominates on Both Ends
The veteran center led by example against Golden State, finishing with 15 points and 17 rebounds while adding two blocks and a steal.
His presence in the paint was overwhelming as he contained the Warriors' interior attack throughout the night, and the numbers reflected his dominance.
Golden State shot just 35 percent from the field and an abysmal 23.1% from three-point range while committing 19 turnovers.
Gobert bounced back in a major way after a subpar outing during the front end of the back-to-back against these same Warriors, where Minnesota fell 111-85 on Sunday.
Monday's game was a completely different story as the 11.0 points and 11.4 rebounds per game big man reasserted himself as the anchor of Minnesota's defense.
The Case for a Fifth DPOY
Gobert's performance fits into the larger conversation around his Defensive Player of the Year candidacy.
The 33-year-old has lifted an otherwise unimpressive Timberwolves defense to elite levels when he is on the court, and his on/off numbers tell a compelling story.
With Victor Wembanyama's injury issues potentially preventing him from qualifying due to the league's 65-game threshold, Gobert has a legitimate path to his record-breaking fifth trophy.
Only Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace have matched Gobert's four wins, so another victory would make him the greatest Defensive Player of the Year winner in league history.
Where the Teams Stand
With the victory, the Timberwolves improved to 28-19 on the season and sit fourth in the Western Conference, nine games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder but very much in the mix for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Minnesota had been struggling before Monday's win, dropping their previous five contests including Sunday's loss to the same Warriors team.
Golden State fell to 26-22 and remains eighth in the West, though they were shorthanded without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 18 points while Bones Hyland added 17 off the bench.
Building Something Special
Gobert's message about defensive identity resonates because the Timberwolves have championship aspirations but have struggled with consistency.
They reached the Western Conference Finals in each of the last two seasons, and Gobert believes defense is the key to getting back there and beyond.
When Minnesota commits defensively, they look like contenders.
The challenge now is taking the lessons from Monday's blowout win and applying them every single night. Minnesota returns to action Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks.