After suffering a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, the Minnesota Timberwolves star Rudy Gobert allegedly insinuated the influence of the NBA betting industry on game outcomes. Gobert suggested that sports betting is influencing how NBA referees call games after being assessed with 27.8 seconds remaining in regulation.
“I’m going to bite the bullet again. I will be the bad guy. I’ll take the fine, but I think it hurts our game. I know the betting and everything else is getting bigger and bigger, but that shouldn’t be the case,” Gobert said.
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Rudy Gobert was called for a technical foul in the final seconds of the match when he rubbed his fingers several times, suggesting the referees were in it for the money.
Gobert made the move after being booked for his sixth and final foul of the game when he went over the backs of defenders to grab a rebound. The Cavaliers tied the game in the final seconds.
Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori, who replaced Chris Finch when he fell ill just before the tipoff, criticized Gobert’s behavior.
“A technical foul with 27 seconds left, to be honest, is unacceptable,” Nori said. “That’s who Rudy is, but you have to be smart. He created an automatic visual. He was visibly frustrated, both teams were, but we have to be smarter.”
The 7-foot-1 center agreed he should have kept his cool.
“My reaction, which I think was the truth, but it was not the time to react that way,” Gobert said. “It cost my team the game. It was an immature reaction.”
Rudy Gobert’s actions and comments will certainly be reviewed by the league. He risks a possible fine and suspension.
Rudy Gobert’s performance during the Minnesota Timberwolves against Cleveland Cavaliers
THE Cleveland Cavaliers won 113-104 in overtime against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Rudy Gobert played 37 minutes before being sent off. He had a bad night offensively, only collecting seven points and two assists. However, he made up for it on the defensive end by recording 17 rebounds, a steal and two blocks.
Devoid of Cities of Karl-Anthony In the lineup, the Timberwolves relied on the triple DPOY to protect the paint and grab rebounds on both ends of the floor. However, his ejection crippled the Timberwolves in overtime.
The Cavaliers were able to dominate the sneaky Timberwolves in overtime thanks to Gobert’s ejection and no one protecting the Minnesota paint. Cleveland scored 16 points in overtime, compared to 7 points in overtime for the Timberwolves.
Rudy Gobert blamed part of the loss on officials. For Gobert, the officials team was bad throughout the match.
“This is not just a call,” he said. “Everyone makes mistakes, but when it’s over and over again, it’s frustrating of course.”
THE Minnesota Timberwolves (44-20) slipped to second place in the Western Conference after its defeat on Friday.
