The Minnesota Timberwolves wrapped up the Portland Trail Blazers in a thrilling finish. Reclaiming the number one seed in the West, the Wolves pack attacked their rivals with a man who is usually only a supporting offensive player – Rudy Gobert. The French big logged his 43rd double-double of the season and helped the franchise snap out of a two-game losing streak.

It was just the second time that the Wolves have lost back-to-back games. Getting back to winning ways was essential. Gobert’s 25-point and 16 rebounds night paved the way for them to bounce back. They ended a strenuous seven-game schedule with a 4-3 record. It was arguably their most taxing stretch this season as it included three back-to-back games.

They will finally get an opportunity to rest for two days, only to engage in another back-to-back schedule. After the game, Gobert was asked about the tough challenge. His response gave some Anthony Edwards flashbacks.

Rudy Gobert embraces the Anthony Edwards mentality

Playing on back-to-back nights is never easy. There is no time to recover, the body is still sore and one has to play through immense fatigue. The Wolves had to do this three times since the All-Star break. The number one-seeded team had a rough schedule, and it surely impacted the team’s record. However, while Gobert appreciates the rest, he embraces the ‘fight’ of this unprecedented schedule.

“In 11 years, I’ve never had a stretch with so many back-to-backs. I think we got like 3 back to back in 10 days, and we got another one coming up. Never had that. It’s unfortunate” Gobert told reporters after his monstrous game against Portland. “But we gotta fight through it, we gotta take care of ourselves… But now we got an opportunity to recover, get our legs back and then we got another back-to-back, and after that we can breathe a little more. Going west coast we have a little more space between games. NBA season, some stretches are tough, but we gotta use those games to get better and take care of ourselves,”. 

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His mentality is almost uncanny to that of the Wolves’ frontal force, Anthony Edwards. During the All-Star media day last year, Edwards’ remarks for stars to “just play” were adored by fans. He makes a point to participate in the game whether he is well-rested or having to deal with back-to-back games. Ant-Man has a shred of the old-school mentality within him, one of the reasons people find him akin to Michael Jordan.

Rudy Gobert is one of those stars in the league that doesn’t do load management. This season, he has played in 60 out of the possible 62 games. From the recent seven-day grueling stretch, Gobert played in six games, only missing the battle against the Brooklyn Nets due to an ankle sprain. The tall defensive anchor is the imperative catalyst for a Wolves defense that ranks first in the league. He and Edwards have combined to haunt offensive players with their tenacious defense. It’s only right that their synergy clicked given they boast a similar mentality.

Even though Gobert will have to play in another back-to-back after two days of rest, there are no apprehensions from his side. The Wolves team is gritty and tough, an identity that has helped them rise as the giants in the West. It is also this ferocity that eventually helps wins games in the postseason, and the Timberwolves are not keen on going out early this season.

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Do you think they have a chance to win an NBA title this season with Anthony Edwards and Gobert at the helm? Let us know what you think in the comments below.