Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Rudy Gobert makes playoff history in series-clincher

By Sai Mohan | Last updated May 1, 2025 8:11 AM ET

Rudy Gobert was universally mocked a year ago when Luka Doncic danced all over him and sent the Timberwolves packing.

A year later, the Frenchman has redeemed himself.

In Wednesday's series-clinching win over Doncic's Lakers, Gobert had 27 points and 24 rebounds on 12-of-15 shooting, proving to be the ultimate difference maker against the undersized Purple and Gold.

Gobert nearly out-rebounded all the Lakers starters himself and grabbed nine offensive rebounds, which created a dozen of the Timberwolves' 20 second-chance points.

The 7-footer became the first player ever to record a 25/20 game on 80 percent shooting in a series-clinching playoff game, and the fifth overall to record a 25/20 stat line on 75 percent shooting in any postseason game.

Shaquille O'Neal, during the 2004 NBA Finals, was the last player to record a comparable stat line in a playoff game.

Rudy Gobert is the first player with 25 PTS, 20 REB and 80% shooting in a series-clinching win in NBA history pic.twitter.com/n9HtM4Y3sC
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 1, 2025

Players with 25/20 on 75+ FG% in playoff game:

Shaq
Wilt
Moses
Horace
Unseld

and Rudy Gobert. pic.twitter.com/4yzKABbiQn
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 1, 2025

Rudy Gobert is the first player with 25+ points and 20+ rebounds while shooting 75%+ in the playoffs since Shaquille O'Neal for the Lakers in Game 4 of the 2004 Finals.https://t.co/AELlqi6xDJ
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) May 1, 2025

A coaching masterclass

The Timberwolves' coaching staff shocked the Lakers by repeatedly running offensive plays for Gobert, a career 12.6 points scorer. With the Lakers lacking size in the middle, the Timberwolves fed Gobert on the low block as if he were a prime Hakeem Olajuwon, leaving the Lakers with no answers.

Head coach Chris Finch had a strong message for Gobert's detractors.

"Rudy's a winner at the highest level. He drives winning," Finch told reporters. "You can not like who he is, how he does it, what he looks like, etc. I mean, when you have this guy on your team, you understand what a professional and a winner is....He doesn't listen to the outside noise and we don't either."

Finch also praised Gobert's IQ level for realizing that the Lakers' strategy to blitz Anthony Edwards, who shot 5-of-19 from the floor, opened up scoring opportunities for others, especially himself.

"They became a little more active on the ball this game, and that released Rudy's rolls [to the basket]," Finch said of his center.

If the Timberwolves face the Warriors in the semifinals, Gobert could once again be the X factor against an undersized Golden State outfit.

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

More must-reads: