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NBA Announces Punishment Decision on Rudy Gobert Before Timberwolves Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sami Haider | Last updated Feb 21, 2026 9:10 PM ET

With 29.8 seconds left in the second quarter of Friday night’s 122–111 win over the Dallas Mavericks at Target Center, Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert picked up a Flagrant Foul 1. This was enough for the NBA to hand him a significant punishment that many did not see coming.

He entered the game already sitting on six Flagrant Foul points for the season. Collecting his seventh point tipped him over the league's disciplinary threshold, and the NBA took action immediately.

The NBA announced Saturday that Gobert has been suspended one game without pay, per a statement from Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations James Jones. So, per reports, Gobert will sit out Sunday’s home game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Under the NBA’s points system, players get an automatic suspension once they go over five flagrant foul points in a season. Because Rudy Gobert started the game with six points, his Flagrant 1 foul brought his total to seven.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) grabs a reboundCredit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

This triggered an immediate one-game ban. Moving forward, any additional flagrant foul he commits this season will result in another suspension.

Gobert is making $35 million this season under his new $109.5 million extension he signed in 2024. Because the NBA suspension without pay applies to his base salary, he will lose nearly $427,000 for missing Sunday's game against the Sixers.

This isn't the first time Gobert's physical play has cost him. In April 2023, he lost $263,258 in salary after the team suspended him for punching teammate Kyle Anderson. While his aggressive style is the reason Minnesota has maintained a top-six defense for three straight years, it also leaves a clear trail of fines and missed games.

He will be back on the floor this Tuesday when the Wolves travel to Portland to face the Trail Blazers at 10:00 p.m. ET. This game is the start of a three-game road trip that also includes stops in Los Angeles and Denver before the team returns home in March.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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