Magic Johnson Praises Rudy Gobert After Locking Down Nikola Jokic

Rudy Gobert forced Nikola Jokic outside his comfort zone in Game 3 which helped the Timberwolves upset the Nuggets.

Magic Johnson Praises Rudy Gobert After Locking Down Nikola Jokic

Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokic, and Magic Johnson (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Magic Johnson praised Rudy Gobert for his defensive performance against Nikola Jokic.
  • Gobert's defense contributed significantly to the Timberwolves' victory over the Nuggets in Game 3.
  • Jokic acknowledged the Timberwolves' strong defense and his need to improve his scoring to facilitate playmaking.

There is no doubt that Nikola Jokic is one of the best basketball players in the world. Now, when he goes up against fellow European Rudy Gobert, it has generally not gone well for the Frenchman.

Sure, the latter had the last laugh the last time the Denver Nuggets met the Minnesota Timberwolves in the postseason. But during the regular season, it was back to the Serbian proving again and again why he is usually the top name in the MVP race.

In the playoffs, Jokic again had Gobert’s number in Game 1, using his triple-double to power his Nuggets to an impressive win over the Timberwolves.

Then came Game 2, and the situation flipped. However, the headlines were not about the Nuggets’ loss as much as it was about what the Wolves were saying about their opponents. Those words set up Game 3 to become a personal battle.

While all eyes were firmly on Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert put on a defensive clinic that left even some all-time greats in awe.

I think the Minnesota Timberwolves will win the Series because they are faster, more athletic, and more physical than the Denver Nuggets. Minnesota Center Rudy Gobert has been doing a great job defending one of the best NBA players today – Nikola Jokic!

Magic Johnson wrote on X

The Hall of Famer lavishing praise on the Wolves center was probably the best shoutout Gobert has received in his career. After all, he has been criticized in the past for winning Defensive Player of the Year awards without his effort impacting his team. Now it has.

Analyst believes Rudy Gobert is winning the battle against Nikola Jokic

Magic Johnson echoed what many have been saying about Rudy Gobert since clips of him clamping down on Nikola Jokic reached social media.

Nikola Jokic struggled against Rudy Gobert
Nikola Jokic struggled against Rudy Gobert (Image via Do Deka/X)

But then, there are others who believe that the latter had a bad night and that he will probably return to his best and turn this series around. When it was Chris Broussard‘s turn on First Things First, he said this:

They outscored the Nuggets 68-34 in the paint… In their role, Rudy Gobert is doing his role better than Jokic.

The analyst pointed to the fact that the Timberwolves took on the mantra that Jaden McDaniels laid down, and that is that the Nuggets are not that great defensively.

If they slow the Colorado-based team’s offense, they can outscore them and win the game. That is precisely what Gobert did, and his forcing Jokic to have one of his worst playoff games offensively was the primary reason the Wolves won.

Nikola Jokic understands what he needs to do in Game 4

While the world is appreciating Rudy Gobert for his defensive masterclass, reporters after the game wanted to know from Nikola Jokic what made him struggle this much.

They’re a really good defensive team, and we couldn’t make shots. To be a distributor, if I make little bit of shots, then the defense is gonna react. I think that’s why I couldn’t get anybody involved because they didn’t help. It was just one-on-one coverage. I need to do a little better job scoring, and it’ll open up for everybody else.

Jokic replied

He accepted that the Timberwolves’ athleticism and defense make it hard for him to fulfill his role as the primary playmaker. They stopped him at just three assists, not a number that is usually associated with the Joker.

Jokic pointed out that he first needs to get his scoring touch back. Only then will it force the Wolves to react differently. That can potentially open up chances for him to dictate the game.

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