With his right hand comforting his chest, Rudy Gobert headed to the locker room, exiting the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The instance occurred with less than eight minutes left in the game. Early reports suggest he suffered a possible rib injury further adding to the Wolves’ misery despite their win on Tuesday.

Gobert’s injury came when Ivica Zubac pump-faked a shot after receiving the ball near the basket. With hopes of contesting, Gobert leaped in the air, grazing Zubac’s shoulder with his back and ultimately taking a hard fall on the floor. The Timberwolves center tried to carry on but seemed to strain the injured part of his body even further on the very next play. This led to the Wolves calling a time-out as Gobert headed to the tunnel.

According to Justin Russo of the ‘Clip & Roll’ podcast, Gobert has suffered an injury to his ribs. With an extended absence of Karl-Anthony Towns, Gobert had been shouldering a lot of Wolves’ burden throughout the game, but now he could join him on the injury list.

Gobert played a total of 33 minutes before exiting the game, nearing a double-double. Proving extra cushioning on the frontcourt, Gobert garnered 11 rebounds, alongside 8 points (4-7 shooting from the floor). Nickeil Alexander-Walker and veteran Mike Conley Jr. made significant contributions during Gobert’s low-scoring game, adding 28 and 23 points respectively.

The Wolves, with a double-digit lead upon the centers’ exit, clinched the game 118-100 behind Anthony Edwards’ 37 points and 8 rebounds. The team rallied from a 22-point deficit to stun the Clippers.

However, with Gobert taking off mid-match, they will have some concerns. Apart from the three-time DPOY Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns remains out due to a left meniscus tear. Before the game, it was revealed that KAT underwent successful surgery on his left knee lateral meniscus tear and will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

It is now possible Gobert may also sit out a few games. With the Timberwolves sitting third in the Western Conference, they would hope both of their stars be in good health once the playoffs roll around.

So far Gobert has missed only 4 games this season and is a foundational piece in their 2023-24 season dominance.

Rudy Gobert’s impact on the Wolves last 10 games

Despite an already promising career, Rudy Gobert has alleviated his performance with the Wolves this season. Slightly edging past his career averages, he is garnering 13.8 points, 12.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists alongside 2.1 blocks per game.

With that, he has helped the Timberwolves stay afloat during the heightened intensity of the last stretch of the season. In his last 10 games, despite several single-digit scoring games, he averages 14.2 points, lodging extended time on the court whenever necessary.

Moreover, dominantly crashing the boards in all the matchups, he has increased his output on both ends, garnering 14.6 rebounds in the stretch. With that, he managed to notch 9 double doubles in the last 10 games.

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Apart from his continued presence and heavy minutes, the most valuable aspect of Gobert’s game is his efficiency. He is one of the few players in the league who do not need many possessions to make an impact. With his IQ and selective footing in the paint, he flaunts a near 65% field goal efficiency. Wolves fans now anxiously await further updates on Gobert’s status.