Why Was Rudy Gobert Ejected From Suns Game? Timberwolves Defensive Stalwart Penalized for Dangerous Play

The Minnesota Timberwolves suffered a major blow on Monday with a 108-105 loss to the Devin Booker-less Phoenix Suns. A big turning point came when Rudy Gobert was ejected in the third quarter, which played a major role in ending the Wolves’ five-game winning streak.

The incident occurred at the 7:59 mark of the third period. Gobert was involved in a dangerous play as Phoenix’s Mark Williams drove down an open lane and went up for a dunk. Gobert arrived late and, instead of simply trying to contest the shot, chose to foul him. The foul was far from ordinary, intentionally elbowing Williams while he was mid-air. As a result, the Suns player crashed to the floor.

After a review, the officials ruled that the play met the criteria for a flagrant 2. Gobert was tossed out of the game.

"There is wind-up and significant impact to the ribs of Williams, who is airborne and a vulnerable player with a high potential for injury," said crew chief Tyler Ford. "That contact is both unnecessary and excessive."

Rudy Gobert had been making a strong impact before he was thrown out of the game. He had already put up 15 points along with eight rebounds.

Mark Williams, meanwhile, managed to finish the game on a high note despite the scary fall. He hit the first three-pointer of his career en route to a 22-point performance, along with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Anthony Edwards speaks about the importance of Rudy Gobert’s presence

The Minnesota Timberwolves saw some impressive individual efforts in Monday’s game. Anthony Edwards went off for 40 points and picked up nine rebounds. Whereas, Julius Randle also delivered with 21 points on 63.6% shooting and eight assists.

Even with these strong performances, the team could not get past a shorthanded Suns squad, highlighting how important Rudy Gobert is.

Edwards later spoke about how much Gobert’s presence matters on the floor, especially on the defensive end.

“You can’t make up for Rudy’s absence, when he’s in the game it’s like they don’t want to go down there and finish,” Edwards said in the postgame locker room interview. “So of course he’s truly missed when he’s not on the court.”

Minnesota will now head to San Francisco for a quick road matchup with the Golden State Warriors. After that, the team returns to Minneapolis for a five-game homestand that runs until Dec 23.