The Minnesota Timberwolves (26-14) visit the Milwaukee Bucks (17-22) tonight at Fiserv Forum for a high-stakes NBA regular-season matchup. While the visitors are looking to extend their current winning streak, they will be forced to do so without their primary stars, as both Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert have been ruled out for tonight’s contest.
Minnesota enters tonight’s game fresh off a thrilling 104-103 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Edwards was the undisputed hero of that night, burying a cold-blooded game-winner to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The face of the franchise led all scorers with 23 points, adding two rebounds and three assists to his tally.
While head coach Chris Finch is eager to capitalize on that momentum, the Wolves face a significant uphill battle tonight. Anthony Edwards is officially sidelined due to right foot injury maintenance, according to the latest NBA injury report.
However, the Ant-Man isn’t the only major absence for Minnesota. Four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert will also be unavailable as he serves a one-game league suspension. The ban was triggered after Gobert reached the threshold of six flagrant fouls for the season during the win over San Antonio.
Tonight’s showdown in Milwaukee serves as a test for a Minnesota squad that has been on a tear, winning six of its last eight games. With two perennial All-Stars out of the rotation, the spotlight shifts to the Timberwolves’ bench. It is a next man up situation where the team’s depth and role players must step into the void to keep the streak alive.
Rudy Gobert on flagrant foul against Spurs
With 7:35 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Spurs holding an 87-81 lead, Victor Wembanyama pulled up from beyond the arc as Rudy Gobert charged in to contest the shot. However, the Timberwolves center failed to provide the San Antonio big man with a safe landing spot, sending Wembanyama to the floor. Officials whistled the play for a foul and, upon review, upgraded it to a Flagrant 1.
The penalty marks Gobert’s sixth flagrant foul of the season, triggering an automatic one-game suspension. “It’s tough, because I try to be aggressive contesting shots in the heat of the moment,” Gobert said during a post-game press conference. “I don’t think there’s, at any time, any intention of getting anybody hurt or putting people in dangerous situations”.
The Frenchman followed up with a critique of the officiating, arguing for more consistency in how flagrant fouls are called across the league—especially when he is the one taking the hit. “As long as they keep calling flagrants when I get hit in the back of the head, which happens every night, I’m cool with it. Protecting the players I think is important, but let’s protect all the players,” he added.