Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert explained why the Timberwolves win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday was a vital moment in the team's season.
The Minnesota Timberwolves recovered from an unfortunate loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday with a resounding near wire to wire win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday that the Timberwolves led by as many as 33 points in about as balanced of an effort as you could muster.
All five of Minnesota’s starters scored at least 12 points but no more than 15, while forward Naz Reid led all Timberwolves with 22 points off the bench.
Reid made 9-of-14 attempts from the field overall and 3-of-6 from 3-point range in addition to grabbing 12 rebounds. Of the starters, center Rudy Gobert recorded the most impressive effort with 15 points and nine rebounds.
Speaking with reporters after the decisive win, Gobert explained why a blowout victory like Monday is just what the Timberwolves need to start really heating up ahead of a pivotal stretch in this NBA season.
“It's about winning, obviously, but it's about building habits and working on ourselves,” Gobert said. “I'm proud of the way we competed from start to finish. We played the right way offensively. We didn't get bored. I really feel like we sense that and we understand that it's about us. It's not about the competition.
“Every night, regardless of who we play, we are our biggest competition. If we have that mindset, we're able to get better and better throughout the year. And I think we maximize our chances to win a championship.”
Opening Up The Offense
Gobert also explained how his presence in the post allows spacing to open up offensively for Timberwolves stars Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, who are pretty unanimously the team's primary and secondary scorers. For Gobert, anything he can do to make their lives easier is a worthwhile investment of his time.
“I just try to sense the floor, sense what's going to happen and put a lot of pressure on the rim,” Gobert said. “When I'm down there, my man has to make a decision. If he helps, it's an easy lob, it's an easy drop-off. Or they have to bring another wingman, then it's a corner three.
“Sometimes I'm on top of the floor, so I’ll set screens, get my teammates open too. I’ll shoot a couple 3s. I've done this my whole career. Whatever I do, I try to contribute to the success of my teammates and the success of the team. Whether it's running the floor, rolling to the basket, all these things. If it gets my teammates easier shots, it's worth it.”