UNEXPECTED RUDY GOBERT COULD COMPLETELY RESHAPE THE CELTICS' IDENTITY

A trade for Giannis may not be in the cards, but the Celtics could build an intimidating defense around Rudy Gobert.

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Even if the Celtics don’t trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer, there’s reason to believe Brad Stevens will be aggressive on the trade market to reshape the team. Regardless of what else they do, there’s a strong sentiment out there that Boston needs to improve at the center position. A stretch-big who can protect the rim would be optimal, but those guys don’t really exist on the market.

One player who may be available, and has perhaps even become a bit underrated, is Rudy Gobert of the Timberwolves. Rudy is one of the best defensive players of all time and can single-handedly anchor an elite defense, as he did in Utah for years before doing so again in Minnesota.

But after a second-round exit, the Wolves are looking to change things up, and that may mean parting with the four-time Defensive Player of the Year. This goes along with recent reports that the Wolves are interested in Derrick White and that the Celtics are interested in Gobert.

Parting with White would leave the Celtics without their best defensive player, but if it were a deal for Gobert, that may be one of the few possible upgrades in the entire league. A one-for-one swap works money-wise, and in the sense that the Wolves badly need a guard to take away some responsibilities from Anthony Edwards and the Celtics need a center, this deal could have some legs.

Celtics defense would be scary with Rudy Gobert manning the back line

In Gobert, Boston would be getting arguably the best defender in the world outside of Victor Wembanyama. He would slot in with Jayson Tatum and other strong perimeter defenders and be able to anchor the back line and clean up the glass. With Neemias Queta transitioning into a super-sub role, the Celtics should have 48 minutes a night of elite defensive play from the center position.

The offense is the concern for Rudy, but he is an elite screen setter and would create absurd driving lanes for the Jays and Payton Pritchard. Brad Stevens preached the desire to add rim pressure, and while Gobert won’t do that as a ball-handler, he can provide that in spades with his screening and rim-running.

Boston would certainly need to add to the backcourt after sending White away for a big man, but they could use their trade exceptions and mid-level exception on that front. Plus, having a presence in the back like Rudy would give the Cs more wiggle room to add offense-first guards.

This deal is far from a no-brainer, but it’s the kind of shake-up that may be needed for both sides. Other holes would need to be filled, but Boston would almost assuredly boast one of the league’s best defenses for the foreseeable future.

- Ben Handler

RUDY GOBERT SPLITS FROM PREGNANT PARTNER ... Get Out Of My House And Take Our Kid, Too!!!

 

Rudy Gobert Breaks Up With Pregnant GF, Tells Her To Leave Home With 1-Year-Old

7:34 PM PT -- Rudy Gobert is now sharing his side ... claiming "inaccurate information" is being thrown around, though he offers no specifics.

Gobert did confirm he is no longer in a relationship with Julia, but still plans to "keep supporting the well-being of all the people that I care about."

5:15 PM PT -- Julia Bonilla just addressed the situation in a lengthy social media post ... calling the whole ordeal "one of the most painful times in my life."

"I considered Rudy the love of my life," Bonilla said minutes ago. "I left everything for him. I gave him a child and poured my heart into our relationship."

"Despite how I have been treated, I choose to protect his name for the sake of my children," she added.

Bonilla also noted she has "NEVER EVER been unfaithful to the father of my children" ... adamantly denying cheating played a role in the split.

Rudy Gobert broke up with his pregnant girlfriend, told her to move out of his home and take their one-year-old son with her right at the start of the NBA playoffs, TMZ Sports has learned.

Sources close to the wives and girlfriends of Timberwolves players tell us the split was a bit of a shocker ... considering Julia Bonilla and baby Romeo were spotted at Minnesota's final regular season game on April 13.

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In fact, 32-year-old Gobert went up to them after the game for a warm embrace ... so all appeared to be completely normal with the family.

But, we're told things changed some time after Bonilla revealed she was pregnant with their second child ... and Gobert is now a single man.

Our sources say Bonilla hoped to move back to her home country of France following the split ... but the four-time Defensive Player of the Year wants her and Romeo to stay in the States so they can figure out child custody after the Wolves' season comes to an end.

We're told Gobert has lawyered up and his reps have applied pressure to ensure she stays in Minnesota.

We actually talked to Gobert back in March 2024 -- right before his first son was born -- and he said it was a "blessing" to have a child entering the world.

As we previously reported, Bonilla was outspoken in her support of the 32-year-old French hooper ... and defended him after his peers voted him the most overrated player in the league.

Gobert and the Wolves are currently in a playoff run ... and the big man played a major role in their series wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.

We've reached out to Gobert's side for comment ... and his agent, Bouna Ndiaye, told us his company has zero interest in ever speaking with TMZ Sports about any of its clients.

- TMZ Sports 

THE FRENCH BASKETBALL REVOLUTION ARRIVES AT THE 2024 NBA DRAFT

 

Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (left) and Washington Wizards center/forward Alexandre Sarr during the 2024 NBA draft June 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Steven Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images

NEW YORK – On the 101st floor of the Edge building, NBA draft prospect Alexandre Sarr appeared on top of the world with the spotlight on him and France.

During a panel discussion with Kenny “The Jet” Smith, Australia National Basketball League commissioner Jeremy Loeliger turned to Sarr and said, “There is something in the water in France. It’s a special time in France.”

Those words certainly rang true as France waved its flag high during the first round of the 2024 NBA draft on Wednesday. The San Antonio Spurs selected Victor Wembanyama No. 1 in 2023, and another Frenchman was the first overall pick in the draft when the Atlanta Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher on Wednesday. Fellow Frenchmen followed, with Sarr going second to the Washington Wizards, Tidjane Salaün going sixth to the Charlotte Hornets and Pacôme Dadiet going 25th to the New York Knicks. French forward Melvin Ajinça is a candidate to be drafted in the second round on Thursday.

“That’s amazing. We are trying to represent our country, and I’m so glad to be a part of it,” Risacher said. “There are more players coming in. I’m really proud of being a part of the success of my country. Trying to understand what Victor, [Minnesota Timberwolves center] Rudy [Gobert] or other French players [went through] really helped me to develop myself as a player, first of all, in France, and hopefully now in the NBA.”

The first draft for the NBA, then known as the Basketball Association of America, took place in 1947 with Clifton McNeely selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Ironmen. The first international player selected first overall was Mychal Thompson of the Bahamas by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1978. Through the 2022 NBA draft, Bahamas, Nigeria, Jamaica, the U.S. Virgin Islands, China, Australia, Italy and Canada all had No. 1 picks.

It wasn’t until the 2023 draft that France finally had a No. 1 selection when Wembanyama was taken by the Spurs. A record 14 French players were on opening-night rosters last season, and the NBA says the level of talent coming out of France is driving significant interest in the country.

Suddenly, France appeared to become a basketball hotbed.

“We have a lot of young kids that believe,” Gobert told Andscape. “It started with the older generation that paved the way for us and now we are paving the way for the younger guys. And now, any kid that grows up in France dreams and believes they can make it to the NBA one day.”

NBA draft prospects Alexandre Sarr (left) and Tidjane Salaün (right) attend the 2024 NBA draft June 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.MIKE LAWRENCE/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES

The 2024 NBA draft was the first time that three players outside the United States were taken within the first 10 picks in the modern draft era (since 1966). Two of the three players from Europe taken first overall – Risacher, Wembanyama and Andrea Bargnani (Italy) – are from France. With the selection of Sarr, it was the first time in NBA history that the first two picks were French and international. Salaün, who turns 19 on Aug. 10, is also the youngest French player to get drafted since Ian Mahinmi was drafted by the Spurs in 2005.

Risacher says he wasn’t surprised that France had three players taken in the top 6. Sarr and Salaün agreed.

“The basketball in France has improved, and that’s why we are here in this draft. Three French players in the top 10, it’s not nothing,” said Salaün, whose mother is of Malian and Guadeloupean descent.

“It just shows the amount of talent that we have in France,” Sarr said.

“Thirty years ago, we decided to mostly focus on French and African players. And people were telling us that we were crazy and we would never make money because the best players were American. We had two clients at that time, but you know the game is becoming global.”

— Bouna Ndiaye, co-founder and CEO of Comsport

So how did the NBA’s French revolution begin?

Rudy Bourgarel, Gobert’s father, played forward at Marist College from 1985 to 1988 with center Rik Smits, who went on to play for the Indiana Pacers. The 7-foot Bourgarel averaged 10.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks during his junior year but was not drafted by the NBA in 1989 despite interest. Bourgarel ended up playing professionally in France and eventually moved to Guadeloupe.

“I heard he was going to get drafted, but the French national team wanted him to play for them, so he had to pass on the workouts and the draft in order to do that,” Gobert told Andscape in 2020. “He told the French team no. The French national team made him come back to France to do to his military service. Those days, you had to do it. He didn’t end up doing any military service, but he was forced to come back to France, so he couldn’t do NBA workouts.

“But if he went to the NBA, I wouldn’t be here. It’s destiny. After that happened, he ended up playing in France. He played in Paris and Saint-Quentin, where he met my mom.”

In 1997, former NBA forward Tariq Abdul-Wahad, formerly Olivier Saint-Jean, was the first French player drafted in the NBA who played in the league. The former San Jose State star was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 11th overall pick. The defensive specialist averaged 7.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 236 games while playing for Sacramento, the Orlando Magic, the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks from 1997 to 2003.

Abdul-Wahad is still very proud of the French history he made and had an intriguing take on it.

“Being the first is always the hardest …,” Abdul-Wahad told Andscape. “The Senegalese soldiers saved France in World War I and World War II, especially World War II. It was an African regiment they used to send first. That is kind of what it feels like, because you’re going to catch the first bullet. In other words, you’re the standard. Whatever happens to you good, bad or indifferent, it is going to be blown out of proportion or be an event because you’re the first to do it.

“But now there has been 30 players in the league who have been drafted, cut, extended, got hurt. Everybody went through whatever an NBA player went through. So, it’s no longer a story. Now it’s easier to put my journey into perspective with all the other players.”

Dallas Mavericks forward Tariq Abdul-Wahad (left) talks with San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (right) during Game 5 of the Western Conference finals at SBC Center on May 27, 2003, in San Antonio.JED JACOBSOHN/GETTY IMAGES

Wembanyama’s co-agent Bouna Ndiaye is the co-founder and CEO of French company Comsport. Ndiaye and fellow Frenchman Jeremy Medjana share the duties of representing Wembanyama. Ndiaye represents multiple NBA players from France, including Wembanyama, Gobert, Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier and Bilal Coulibaly, who was selected by the Washington Wizards with the No. 7 pick last year.

Ndiaye said his colleagues laughed at him when he decided to focus on representing French and African basketball players in 1999.

“Thirty years ago, we decided to mostly focus on French and African players,” Ndiaye said. “And people were telling us that we were crazy and we would never make money because the best players were American. We had two clients at that time, but you know the game is becoming global.

“Less than 4% of players in the NBA in 1999 were French. There was Tariq Abdul-Wahad and Tony Parker. Tony Parker broke the mental barrier of even if you’re not a big guy you can make it as a guard. He changed the mindset of everyone. Now with Victor coming, he’s looking like he is going to be the face of this league.”

The respect for French basketball intensified with Parker’s arrival in 2001. Parker wasn’t a heralded draft pick by any means, selected with the 28th overall pick by the Spurs in 2001. The 6-2 point guard became a six-time NBA All-Star and a four-time champion. Parker became the first European to win NBA Finals MVP in 2007. The 18-year NBA veteran was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.

There has been many successful French basketball players in the NBA since Parker entered the league. Gobert is one of the greatest French players of all time as a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a projected Hall of Famer. Batum, now with the Philadelphia 76ers, has been playing for 16 seasons. Boris Diaw was the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2006 and won a title with the Spurs in 2014. Wembanyama was the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year. Four Frenchmen, Wembanyama, Coulibaly, Rayan Rupert and Sidy Cissoko, were drafted in 2023.

“We’re having good players each and every year,” Coulibaly said. “Sidy and Rayan also got drafted. So, everyone is thinking, ‘Yeah, we can do it, too.’ ”

Other notable French NBA players include Mahinmi, Fournier, Ronny Turiaf, Mickael Pietrus, Frank Ntilikina, Sekou Doumbouya, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Killian Hayes, Ousmane Dieng and Alexandre Sarr’s brother Olivier. Alexandre Sarr said Parker had a major influence on him.

“Just seeing the [championship] rings and how successful he was in the NBA, he makes you dream of being successful, too,” Sarr told Andscape.

Risacher says he was inspired when Wembanyama and Coulibaly were selected last year. But of all the French basketball players, Risacher said, he was most motivated by his father. Stéphane Risacher was a six-time French League All-Star who played in France, Spain and Greece and won a silver medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics for France.

“It’s been my father for [many] years,” Risacher told Andscape. “I’m the kind of guy who can take inspiration off a lot of people. I’m really curious. I want to take pieces from everywhere. Even last season, Bilal and Victor really inspired me, too. Growing up there were a lot of French players who inspired me …

“[My father] was the first player I ever watched. And when I got my first iPhone I used to watch his highlights on YouTube.”

Sarr’s father, Massar, also has been a huge basketball influence for him as he played professionally in France after coming from his native Dakar, Senegal. Abdul-Wahad, who played with Stéphane Risacher, said: “Now the floodgates are open and there are kids playing whose fathers were from my generation. That is an interesting development.

“French basketball is going to produce players. It doesn’t mean it’s going to produce Hall of Famers. It doesn’t mean that it’s going to present players that have long careers. But what it means is there is a conflation of things. Talent-level, Afro-heritage, training regimen, style of play.”

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (right) with Washington Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly (left) after the game Jan. 20 at Capital One Arena in Washington.STEPHEN GOSLING/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES

Risacher said that it’s special for him, Sarr and Salaün to realize their dream together. It’s also a special time for French basketball. France is hosting the 2024 Olympic Games with a men’s basketball team led by Gobert, Wembanyama and Coulibaly. Risacher, Sarr and Salaün were not on the preliminary national team roster announced in May, but considering the increase in talent from French basketball, the country is expected to have a major impact in the NBA and international basketball.

“I was trying to tell people last year we got more people coming. That’s what is happening. I’m a proud French person. We know basketball in France is getting bigger. So, I’m happy,” Coulibaly said.

Say hello to the new generation of French stars — Wembanyama, Coulibaly, Risacher, Sarr and Salaün — who are inspiring the next generation of Frenchmen. Risacher says more are on the way.

“I feel like French players are going to take some inspiration, and that’s going to be better and better for us,” Risacher said. “I really feel lucky because there’s so many young players that are good.”

The NBA is truly a global game now.

“It’s very cool to see,” Gobert told Andscape. “Credit to the NBA for doing such a great job promoting the game worldwide, and credit to all the coaches and people in France that put their energy into helping these kids develop. It’s great to see that kids from anywhere in the world can now dream of making it to the NBA.”

Marc J. Spears is the senior NBA writer for Andscape. He used to be able to dunk on you, but he hasn’t been able to in years and his knees still hurt.

BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM GAME 2 BETWEEN DALLAS AND MINNESOTA

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 A late one-point victory in a tight Western Conference finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves shouldn't come as a surprise. The Mavericks escaping Minnesota up 2-0 is another story.

Dallas rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to take Game 2 109-108 behind a brilliant step-back 3-pointer from Luka Doncic over center Rudy Gobert with three seconds remaining that silenced the home crowd. The Timberwolves had one final possession, but Naz Reid's 26-footer missed, and now the Mavericks will travel back to Dallas with a commanding series lead.

"I can't move fast, but I can move faster than him," Doncic said of his shot over Gobert during his postgame interview on TNT.

With his winning 3 over the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Doncic finished with a game-high 32 points with 10 rebounds and 13 assists to record his eighth career playoff triple-double.

The Mavericks trailed by as many as 16 points in the third quarter, but they methodically cut into Minnesota's lead behind Doncic's playmaking and clutch shooting from guard Kyrie Irving, who went 4-for-7 from 3 in the game.

Reid led the Wolves with 23 points as Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns once again struggled; the duo combined to shoot 9-for-33.

Dallas heads home with the chance to close out the series and reach the NBA Finals -- despite outscoring Minnesota by just four points over the first two games. The Timberwolves' comeback attempt will begin Sunday in Game 3.

Our NBA insiders break down Doncic's clutch shot, the Timberwolves' chances at getting back into the series and the biggest takeaway from a memorable Game 2.

1. Luka's step-back winning 3 over Gobert was ______.

Ramona Shelburne: Legacy-making, for both him and Gobert. As much as it was an incredible clutch shot by Doncic, it was also ammunition for all the Gobert detractors (See: Green, Draymond) who point out that the Defensive Player of the Year can be a liability when he switches onto a perimeter player. Of course, you can also question the defensive strategy of switching everything with Gobert on the floor. Instead, the Wolves watched Doncic put Gobert on skates for the win.

Andrew Lopez: Excellent, yet expected. Watching Doncic in clutch situations, it's starting to get to the point where you expect him to make tough shots no matter what and no matter who is standing in front of him. It's incredible to think he just turned 25 in February by the way carries himself in pressure moments. As soon as he got the switch, you felt the shot was going in even though he had missed his two other attempts in the fourth quarter.

Brian Windhorst: Let's use Doncic's own words on the court after his game winner: "You can't f---ing guard me." In that moment, it was the slower-footed Gobert against the expert footwork of Doncic. As TNT's Shaquille O'Neal would say, "Barbecue chicken."

2. What is your biggest takeaway from Game 2?

Shelburne: The Mavericks weren't perfect in this game, but for the second game in a row they showed much more poise than the Timberwolves when it mattered. Minnesota should probably just flush the tape of its critical turnovers down the stretch. People are going to point to the poor shooting performances by Wolves stars Edwards and Towns, but Reid and Mike Conley did enough to pick up the slack for Minnesota to win the game if it hadn't had so many unforced errors.

Lopez: As much as Doncic seemingly struggled to get going until late in the fourth quarter because of his various injuries, the Mavericks were able to pull this out because of the play of Irving. Doncic is clearly not 100 -- left ankle soreness and right knee sprain are among his ailments -- despite coming through with the game winner. But when Doncic rested, Irving stepped up. After just seven points in the first three quarters, Irving had 13 in the fourth quarter with four 3s, including with 1:05 to go to cut the Wolves' lead to two.

Windhorst: Edwards is going through a tough patch at the worst time. His unforced turnover with 12.8 seconds left was a crucial mistake. But he's really mired in a slump, shooting just 30-of-90 over the past five games. Unlike Game 1, when he settled for 3-pointers, he attacked the basket and forced the action Friday. But as one of the best finishers in the league, 70% in the restricted area during the regular season, Edwards was ineffective going up against Dallas' size.

3 . The Wolves' trailing 0-2 for the first time these playoffs is ____.

Shelburne: What it looks like when a young team experiences growing pains in real time. As disappointing as these two games were for the Wolves, I'm not ready to write them off. Not after they won Games 6 and 7 against the defending champion Denver Nuggets following three straight losses in the last round. Edwards has struggled in this series. I think the demands of defending Irving in addition to the energy Minnesota needs from him offensively are wearing on him. He even needed oxygen in the fourth quarter of Game 2, but I've seen enough from Edwards this season to know he will never lack confidence or energy when his team needs him.

Lopez: Heartbreaking. It looked as if Reid was going to save the day after he hit seven 3s and was carrying Minnesota in the second half, but he couldn't get his eighth triple to fall as time expired. Towns and Edwards combined to go 9-of-33 in a one-possession game at home. This was after going 12-of-36 in a one-possession game at home in Game 1. Both games have been there for the taking. Minnesota has bounced back from the brink before, but to do so again, both players will have to take big steps in Games 3 and 4 in Dallas.

Windhorst: Regret. That's what the Wolves were feeling in their locker room after the game. Ant for the turnover. Gobert for not getting the final stop. Coach Chris Finch for not using one of his two remaining timeouts. Towns for not having a better game. Two one-possession losses, lots of agony.

- NBA Insiders

WEMBANYAMA BECOMES 1ST ROOKIE TO MAKE FIRST-TEAM ALL DEFENSE

Defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert of Minnesota headlined the team along with Wembanyama, Miami’s Bam Adebayo, New Orleans’ Herb Jones and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis.

FILE PHOTO - San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots in front of Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson (45) in the first half of an NBA basketball game. | Photo Credit: BRANDON DILL/ AP

 

Victor Wembanyama’s latest accolade was like none other.

The San Antonio center has become the first player in NBA history to make the league’s All-Defensive first team as a rookie. The league announced the teams on Tuesday, and Wembanyama appeared on 98 of the 99 ballots cast.

"Defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert of Minnesota headlined the team and was the only unanimous selection. He was joined on the first team by Wembanyama, Miami’s Bam Adebayo, New Orleans’ Herb Jones and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis.

“Coming into this league, obviously he had high expectations because he’s 7-3 and shooting step-back 3s. I think a lot of people paid attention more to that than what he actually did on the defensive end,” Adebayo said of Wembanyama. “So, for him to get first-team, first come around, it’s obviously a great accolade for him.”

The second-team All-Defense picks were Chicago’s Alex Caruso, Orlando’s Jalen Suggs, Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels and Boston teammates Derrick White and Jrue Holiday.

It was Gobert’s seventh5 All-Defense pick, all of them as a member of the first team. Davis is now a five-time All-Defense player, and a three-time first-team selection. Adebayo made All-Defense for the fifth time, and his first as a member of the first team. Jones made the team for the first time.

I feel it’s a long time coming, obviously,” Adebayo said of his first first-team nod. “Just staying in this moment, enjoying it, blessed to be able to be one of the ones selected.”

Wembanyama is now the sixth rookie in NBA history to make the All-Defensive Team — with the other five all earning second-team nods in their first seasons. Those five were San Antonio’s Tim Duncan in 1998, the Spurs’ David Robinson in 1990, Washington’s Manute Bol (1986), Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon (1985) and Milwaukee’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970).

The All-NBA team will be revealed Wednesday. If Wembanyama makes that team, he would be the first rookie to earn that distinction since Duncan did 26 years ago.

- AP

 

WOLVES STAGGER AGAIN AS EDWARDS, TOWNS SPARK GAME 2 ROUT

 

May 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts towards the Denver Nuggets bench after a play in the second quarter during game two of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Ball Arena. Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

 

DENVER -- With Defensive Player of the Year front-runner Rudy Gobert unavailable and the defending champion Denver Nuggets needing a win to even their Western Conference semifinals series, the Minnesota Timberwolves put on a masterful defensive performance in a 106-80 Game 2 victory.

"We've had some really, really good defensive efforts this year, but that has to be right up there with the best of them," Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. "On the ball, off the ball, the physicality, the execution of the game plan. ... Just really locked in on defense."

If holding Denver to just 34.9% shooting as a team with forceful defensive rotations and forcing 19 turnovers with a suffocating perimeter presence was Minnesota's substance Monday, Anthony Edwards' 27 points and 7 assists coming in highlight-reel fashion was the team's style.

There was the time in the first half when the 22-year-old Wolves guard dribbled between his legs to keep the Nuggets' Reggie Jackson from stealing the ball, which caused Jackson to fall to his knees -- and prompted Edwards to point at the fallen Denver guard for everyone to see what he just did to him.

Then in the second half, there was the 3-pointer he hit with 6:58 to go that he punctuated with a Michael Jordan-esque shrug as he backpedaled down the court with his team ahead by, appropriately enough, 23 points.

And about a minute later, there was the driving layup he scored while absorbing a foul from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope that Edwards celebrated with a Hulk Hogan-esque biceps bulge while he was splayed out on the floor.

"If I do something nice, I got to let it be known," Edwards said with a smile. "Whether I get an and-1, I got to flex. Make somebody fall, I'm going to point at them. And it brings excitement to the game."

Edwards, selected by the Wolves with the No. 1 pick in 2020, was seated next to Karl-Anthony Towns, taken by the team at No. 1 in 2015, at the postgame dais.

Towns, who matched Edwards' scoring total with 27 points to go with 12 rebounds and 2 blocks, enjoyed the show just like the Wolves fans tuning in to watch one of the most promising teams in the history of the franchise.

"Let me put it like this," Towns said. "When Ant is out there talking his s---, I know that we're in for a good night."

The Wolves could be in for an even greater time when the series shifts to the Target Center in Minneapolis for Friday's Game 3 (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in the biggest home game in 20 years.

While the Nuggets' Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic dominated the league en route to the title last spring, Edwards and Towns have been the dynamic duo to watch through the first two games.

Murray was held to 8 points on 3-for-18 shooting, 13 rebounds and 4 turnovers, and referee Marc Davis said the Nuggets point guard should have been assessed a technical foul for throwing a heating pad onto the court during live action in the second quarter. Jokic had 16 points, 16 rebounds and 8 assists, but he shot just 5-for-13 and matched Murray's 4 turnovers.

The Wolves should be back at full strength Friday.

Gobert, who missed Monday while accompanying his partner for the birth of their first child, a baby boy, is expected to return to the lineup. Another win will put Minnesota one game away from its first conference finals appearance since 2004 and put the Nuggets on the brink of elimination.

"We're extremely honored and blessed that we have this opportunity to go home up 2-0," Towns said. "But, we're humble in this approach. We understand that we've put ourselves in a great position, but as great as the position we are in, it could be very bad [if we do not win during] our homestand.

"So, we just got to go out there, take care of business, do what we do, play defense at a high level and execute even at a higher level because the defending champions, you can't give them a minute of slippage at all in the game."

- Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff Writer

DRAYMOND GREEN SAYS HE DOES NOT REGRET CHOKING RUDY GOBERT

DRAYMOND GREEN SUSPENDED 5 GAMES FOR ALTERCATION WITH RUDY GOBERT

GREEN EJECTED FOR HEADLOCK, THOMPSON, MC DANIEL TOSSED AFTER SCUFFLE IN TIMBERWOLVES-WARRIORS GAME

AP Photo

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Draymond Green was ejected after putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock and two other players were thrown out after an altercation early in the Golden State Warriors' game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.

PATRICK BEVERLEY ON RUDY GOBERT NOT GUARDING THE TIMBERWOLVES’ KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS

 

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