The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets 98-90 on Sunday night thanks to an incredible fadeaway jumper from star center Rudy Gobert. Subsequently, Reggie Miller of TNT made a lighthearted comparison between the four-time Defensive Player of the Year’s huge shot and the iconic fadeaway of Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan.
The Timberwolves returned to take the lead in the fourth quarter after falling behind by as much as 20 points in the third. With 7:43 left, they led 77-75. Gobert, who usually scores from inside, was forced to make a contested jumper to beat the shot-clock buzzer.
The 7-foot-1 Frenchman drove to the baseline and was momentarily double-teamed by shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and superstar center Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets. Swiftly evading Jokic on the wing, he twirled clear of the double team.
Many were surprised when Gobert made the basket, which put Minnesota ahead by four points. Miller said that Gobert’s fadeaway was similar to Michael Jordan’s.
“Did Rudy Gobert just pull the Michael Jordan?” Reggie Miller reacted.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
“Telling my kids this was Kareem Abdul Jabar”, another guy on X replied.
Another guy posted, “Is Rudy Gobert the Michael Jordan of Dikembe Mutombos?”
As per NBA.com, Rudy Gobert fouled out late in the fourth quarter, but he ended up with 13 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks on 42.9% shooting. The three-time All-Star’s clutch fadeaway jumper was one of his three-made buckets.
Timberwolves Coach Also Reacted to Rudy Gobert’s Clutch Fadeaway
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch responded amusingly when questioned about Rudy Gobert’s clutch fadeaway jumper following Minnesota’s Game 7 victory against Denver.
During Minnesota’s last timeout, the 54-year-old joked that the team planned a play for Gobert to score on the wing, and he succeeded. Finch continued, saying that the great center’s game-winning shot made up for his previous offensive shortcomings.
“Yeah, that was a heck of an ATO we drew up for him. I mean, listen, you need that, you know? He made one of those in Game 1, too. … So, I was happy for him because it made up for the fastbreak layup that he missed.”, Finch said.
Gobert’s reputation should rise due to his dominant defensive performance throughout the series against the Nuggets and his strong late-game scoring performance in Sunday’s Game 7.
Also Read: NBA Playoffs: Minnesota Timberwolves Pulled a 20-Point Comeback to Eliminate the Reigning Champions
