Through mid-January, the Minnesota Timberwolves are 26–14 and sitting fourth in the Western Conference.
Minnesota has leaned heavily on its defensive identity, with center Rudy Gobert anchoring the paint and star wing Anthony Edwards leading the offense.
Edwards is averaging a career-high 28.9 points per game, along with 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals in 34.9 minutes per contest.
The Wolves rank among the league's stronger defensive teams when Gobert is on the floor, sitting seventh in blocks per game (5.4), seventh in defensive rebounds per game (33.5), and third in opponent field-goal percentage at the rim (60.7%).
That stability took a hit Monday, when the NBA announced Gobert has been suspended one game without pay after accumulating his sixth flagrant foul point of the 2025–26 season.
The suspension will sideline Gobert for Tuesday's matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, creating a notable absence for a Timberwolves team firmly in the Western Conference playoff race.
Gobert's suspension stems from a Flagrant 1 foul assessed during Minnesota's 104–103 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
The play involved a reckless closeout on Victor Wembanyama that violated the league's landing-space rule.
While the foul itself was not deemed excessive, it pushed Gobert to six total flagrant foul points on the season, four Flagrant 1s and one Flagrant 2, triggering an automatic one-game suspension under NBA rules.
Any additional flagrant foul this season will now result in a two-game suspension, placing Gobert under increased scrutiny for the remainder of the regular season.
A four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Gobert has built his career on elite rim protection, rebounding, and efficiency around the basket.
After nine seasons with the Utah Jazz, he joined Minnesota in 2022 and quickly became central to the Timberwolves' defensive resurgence.
This season, Gobert is averaging 11.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 31.7 minutes per game, while leading the league in field-goal percentage at 71.7%.
Prior to the season, he signed a three-year, $110 million contract extension with Minnesota, cementing his role as a long-term cornerstone alongside Anthony Edwards.
Gobert's absence, even for one game, disrupts Minnesota's winning formula as the Timberwolves will likely rely more on Naz Reid, Julius Randle, and smaller lineups to compensate, sacrificing size and rim protection in favor of mobility and spacing.
Tuesday's matchup against Milwaukee presents an immediate test with the Bucks, though under .500 at 17–22, remaining dangerous behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 29.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game.
Newsweek