The Minnesota Timberwolves have a very big game on Tuesday night.
They are set to take on the Los Angeles Lakers in the play-in tournament, meaning that they have to win to secure the seventh seed in the upcoming playoffs.
The stakes are very high but the Timberwolves will be without one of their biggest stars: Rudy Gobert.
Gobert is sitting out for one game after punching teammate Kyle Anderson on Sunday during a heated courtside moment.
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the team was ready to push past the moment but the front office decided that Gobert had to miss a game.
“From what I’m told the players actually were ready to move on… the organization are the ones that made the decision to suspend him for this one game” Charania said on FanDuel TV.
“From what I’m told the players actually were ready to move on… the organization are the ones that made the decision to suspend him for this one game”@ShamsCharania on Rudy Gobert being suspended for tonight's #Timberwolves vs #Lakers play-in game#RunItBack pic.twitter.com/z55kyQGDM8
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) April 11, 2023
This all puts the Timberwolves in a very tough spot.
If they lose Tuesday night’s game, they will only get one more chance to fight into the playoffs.
If they don’t make the postseason, this entire season will be seen as very disappointing, and very expensive too.
Minnesota gave up an awful lot to acquire Gobert during the last offseason and they want something to show for it.
But this season has featured a lot of dysfunction and underperforming, even before the punch on Sunday.
The good news for the Timberwolves is that they actually have a competitive record without Gobert.
That means that a victory on Tuesday night is possible and the Lakers shouldn’t expect an easy win.
It sounds like the players on the team are satisfied with Gobert’s apology and are ready to put this ugly chapter behind them.
But that doesn’t mean their talented big man won’t suffer some consequences.
NEXT: Stephen A. Smith Lashes Out At Rudy Gobert Over Scuffle With Teammate
