By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Rudy Gobert proved his value on both ends of the floor late in the game as the Minnesota Timberwolves secured a crucial victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday, evening their best-of-seven series in the opening round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google, at one game apiece. Despite battling early foul trouble at Ball Arena, the 33-year-old French center remained a stabilizing force, finishing the night with two points, seven rebounds, two steals, and an assist across 28 minutes of action.
Following the Game 2 win, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch offered a passionate defense of his starting center and four-time Defensive Player of the Year, taking aim at Gobert’s omission from the league’s top defensive honors this season. “It’s a joke he wasn’t a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year,” the 56-year-old play-caller stated during his postgame press conference, suggesting that the team’s overall performance in the 2025-26 Regular Season unfairly overshadowed the center’s individual impact.
Finch praised the veteran’s character and resilience, describing him as ‘an outstanding defender’, ‘an outstanding professional’, and ‘an outstanding human’. The American coach further characterized the criticism and lack of recognition directed at Gobert throughout the season as ‘laughable, small-minded, and petty’, adding that the veteran is consistently ‘about the right things’. Finch concluded his remarks by dismissing the external narrative, noting that it was ‘just laughable… all the crap people decided to give Rudy’.
The Wolves now return home with momentum and home-court advantage. The series shifts to Minneapolis for Game 3, which is scheduled for Thursday night at Target Center.
NBA Playoffs 2026
Eastern Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
1. Detroit Pistons – Orlando Magic 0-1 (101-112)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers – Toronto Raptors 2-0 (126-113, 115-105)
3. New York Knicks – Atlanta Hawks 1-1 (113-102, 106-107)
4. Boston Celtics – Philadelphia 76ers 1-0 (123-91)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
5. Winners 1-2
6. Winners 3-4
Finals (best-of-seven)
Winners of Semifinals
Western Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
1. Oklahoma City Thunder – Phoenix Suns 1-0 (119-84)
2. Los Angeles Lakers – Houston Rockets 1-0 (107-98)
3. Denver Nuggets – Minnesota Timberwolves 1-1 (126-115, 114-119)
4. San Antonio Spurs – Portland Trail Blazers 1-0 (111-98)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
5. Winners 1-2
6. Winners 3-4
Finals (best-of-seven)
Winners of Semifinals
NBA Finals 2026 (best-of-seven)
Eastern Conference and Western Conference champions