Sometimes, life is just not fair in basketball.
Sure, they have the intro videos with Kendrick Lamar’s Squabble Up belting in the background and the player intros with screaming fans. The NBA has cool nicknames, like Rudy Gobert’s The Tower of Power, or Big Ru Go Bert, as Anthony Edwards calls him.
Game 5: Hype video and Intros
Squabble up#WolvesBack pic.twitter.com/sZ90IybRdo
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) May 15, 2025
However, they don’t have closer entrance songs. There will never be the WWE theatrics of Mariano Rivera running across a basketball court to Metallica’s Enter Sandman. There will be no Glen Perkins running out Johnny Cash’s God’s Gonna Cut You Down as flames shoot out from the backboards. Even the Minnesota Twins’ current closer, Jhoan Duran, has an all-time walkout music as the gong dings and sirens ramp up the crowd.
Here's that Jhoan Duran entrance tonight on @SNYtv 🔥 https://t.co/AUBXd3dArS pic.twitter.com/f0dyo5vUKY
— John DeMarsico (@JohnDeMarsico) September 9, 2023
This is to say that the Wolves need to figure out how to incorporate Gobert-specific walk-in music for Minnesota’s playoff close-out games. Perhaps they can build it around his favorite movie, Gladiator. Until then, fans and I must settle for Gobert’s ability to set a tone, dominate, and remain present.
“For me, it was about being present,” Gobert said. “Try to enjoy the moment. I try to really focus on my preparation, and then once I’m on the floor, it’s all about enjoying the moment, being present on both ends.”
Rudy Gobert on having back to back big close out games
“For me it’s just about being present, you know, trying to enjoy the moment… once I’m on the floor it’s just about enjoying the moment, being present on both ends and try to set the tone for my teammates” #wolvesback pic.twitter.com/lWPV63DvUe
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) May 15, 2025
Gobert wasn’t only emotionally and metaphysically present in Game 5. He dominated the game from the opening jump until the Wolves took him out in the later stages of the fourth quarter. It was the second consecutive series-ending game that Gobert will likely put on his Hall of Fame mix-tape when the time finally comes for his induction.
He was magnificent offensively in Game 5. Gobert scored 17 points, 11 of which came in the first half. He shot 8 for 9 from the field, had zero turnovers, and drew six fouls on the Golden State Warriors, all in only 27:31 of play time. To be fair, he had one blemish. He shot 1 of 4 from the free-throw line, which was why he sat at the end of the fourth quarter.
Still, traditional stats don’t really do his offensive performance justice.
With Gobert on the floor, Minnesota outscored the Warriors by a team-high 21 points. Gobert also posted a team-high 134.5 offensive rating, 21.1 points higher than his season average. In his 55 offensive possessions, the Wolves assisted on 74.2% of their baskets, 10.5% higher than their season average. In those 55 possessions, Minnesota shot 31 of 45, including 21 of 24 on two-point field goals. With Gobert off the court, the Wolves shot 15 of 23.
That’s mainly due to Gobert starting his work early offensively. He scored eight points in his 9:53 of playing time in the first quarter on 4 of 4 shooting, while also drawing two fouls. All four buckets came off assists, one from Anthony Edwards and three from Donte DiVincenzo. Most importantly, Gobert didn’t have a turnover in the first quarter, which occasionally causes teammates to stop looking for him in the paint.
Gobert’s production created almost a panic in Golden State’s defense as their centers Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kevon Looney went minus-8 combined against Gobert in his minutes in the first quarter. It forced the Warriors to sag in on Gobert and not rotate as effectively. Even though Gobert scores on this play, notice how aggressive Jonathan Kuminga edges in off of Jaden McDaniels to stop Gobert.
Rudy Gobert lob dunk, assisted by Anthony Edwards pic.twitter.com/P1M4TBo3oa
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) May 15, 2025
Let’s break it down further. Golden State was playing aggressively on Edwards, meeting him with a trap at half court or frequently doubling him off of pick-and-rolls throughout the game. Gobert has been limited offensively in the series, but he was the cause of this game plan to some extent.
The heavy pressure would force Edwards to give the ball to a teammate to break the defense, who theoretically would make a quick pass to the free player whose defender the Warriors used to double Edwards. The Warriors would scramble to cover the open shooter to prevent the open jump shot. That usually left Gobert open in the dunker’s spot, which the player doubling Edwards would race back to after Edwards got off the ball.
That’s essentially what happens in the clip below. Edwards gets the double and passes to DiVincenzo, who waits for the Warriors defender to scramble to Jaden McDaniels in the corner to prevent the open shot, and then passes it to Gobert, who has perfect position for a dunk.
Anthony Edwards draws the double team in the PnR with Rudy Gobert
Donte DiVincenzo reads + manipulates the low-man
Rudy Gobert pump-fake + dunk pic.twitter.com/AmNO3SXOv1
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) May 15, 2025
Throughout the year, Edwards typically made the first pass in these situations, then made a second pass to another perimeter player rather than Gobert. If it were to Gobert, he would occasionally bobble the ball. However, Gobert established himself as a factor from the first play, a simple pick-and-roll seen below between Edwards and Gobert. Then, he would follow it up by catching two lobs for dunks later in the quarter.
Rudy Gobert PnR finish, assisted by Anthony Edwards pic.twitter.com/0gOBzpib8O
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) May 15, 2025
The eight points were enough for the Warriors to change their philosophy. Essentially, they had to either give up restricted area shots for Gobert, something that he made at 75.6% during the season, or leave shooters open and gamble that the Wolves couldn’t hit 3s.
Golden State’s shift may have been subtle. Still, even a defender standing a step closer to Gobert opens driving lanes for the Wolves against their zone coverage (See what I did there?) and slows the Warriors’ rotations in their base defense. That shift is part of why the Wolves shot 47.6% from3 with Gobert on the court, as well as their 87.5% two-point percentage.
Whether Gobert is an offensive weapon has been debated throughout his entire career. However, in Game 5, his gravity of drawing players to the rim and opening up the offense was in full display. He converted at the rim, drew fouls, and had no turnovers. That put pressure on the Warriors to adjust to his presence, or else suffer a similar fate to the Los Angeles Lakers, who allowed Gobert to be a focal point in closing out the first-round series.
The Wolves are halfway to their championship destination and are sitting at 8-2 in the postseason. Regardless of which opponent they face next, Gobert being present on offense opens up everything for the Wolves, and fans will just have to settle for the Tower of Power intro he gets for starting lineups.