Rudy Gobert flagrant foul, Gobert suspension, Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards, San Antonio Spurs, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards game winner, Draymond Green flagrant foul, NBA news
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The NBA has dished out a punishment for Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves after a flagrant foul on the Spurs' Victor Wembanyama.
The Minnesota Timberwolves will be bracing for the eventual absence of Rudy Gobert for their February 22 matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.
As the Timberwolves took on the Dallas Mavericks, the veteran center picked up a flagrant foul call. With seven on the year, Gobert is set to be suspended for one game, barring any reversals. Typically, the NBA reviews the calls, and it’s not rare for decisions to be changed.
For the time being, Gobert is on pace to miss the action this upcoming weekend.
Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards
GettyAnthony Edwards and the Timberwolves will miss Rudy Gobert against the Sixers.
Timberwolves Fans Sound Off On Rudy Gobert’s Upcoming Suspension
The flagrant foul call on Gobert was due to an “unnecessary flail.” Considering the circumstances, NBA fans took to social media to sound off on the call.
“I know Rudy does some dumb things, but the gap between ‘gets called for a flagrant for incidental contact to opponent’s head’ and ‘earns a flagrant foul when opponent makes incidental contact to his head’ is WILD,” smkmn13 wrote on Reddit. “Rudy gets crushed like every game and they don’t even review it,” fanoflons added.
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“What a ridiculous sequence of events. First of all, they never even called a foul on the play, they just called it technical. Then they decided to review it for a flagrant, but since you cannot do that without calling a common foul, they change the technical into a common foul. Then they upgraded that, after Rudy was blatantly fouled. And if that was a flagrant, you can call about 60 flagrants a game,” wrote gopher3727.
MrBuckBuck
Rudy Gobert hits Marvin Bagley III in the neck area and receives flagrant foul penalty 1 upon review (with replays)
Gobert will miss the next game, and every flagrant from now one will result in suspension
Gobert entered the matchup against the Mavericks, leading the NBA in flagrant fouls. Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks and Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane are behind him, each with four flagrants. Oddly enough, Gobert is outside of the top 10 when it comes to technical fouls. His teammate, Anthony Edwards, is No. 5 with nine total on the year.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 23: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrates with Anthony Edwards #1 during the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Target Center on April 23, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
GettyThe Timberwolves haven’t battled much without Rudy Gobert.
How Do The Timberwolves Perform Without Rudy Gobert?
The Timberwolves haven’t seen much action without Gobert this season. His first absence of the 2025-2026 season took place on January 13 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Minnesota defeated the Bucks with a blowout victory, winning 139-106. A few nights later, the Gobert-less Timberwolves paid a visit to the San Antonio Spurs. It was a tight outing, but the Timberwolves came up short with a 126-123 loss. The Timberwolves are 1-1 in his absence.
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In 54 games this season, Gobert has averaged 11.0 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. He remains one of the standout bigs on the defensive end of the floor.
With a 122-111 win over the Mavericks, the Timberwolves advanced to 35-22. They will pay a visit to the Sixers, who will be on night two of a back-to-back, next. The Sixers are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 30-25 record. Before taking on the New Orleans Pelicans, the 76ers are in the midst of a three-game losing streak.