Rudy Gobert gets real guarding Nikola Jokic

The Minnesota Timberwolves have built a team that can rise to the occasion, as evidenced by the previous two seasons in which they made it to the Western Conference Finals. Back in 2024, they were the team that dethroned the then-champion Denver Nuggets, and it helps that they have one of the greatest defenders in NBA history in Rudy Gobert to take over Nikola Jokic matchup.

On Sunday night, the Timberwolves once again posed a problem for the Nuggets, winning 117-108 on the road thanks to a masterful well-rounded game. Jokic did have a night, recording 35 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, but that’s simple expected from a three-time MVP regardless of who guards it.

But the Timberwolves will be happy to celebrate the win even though Jokic filled the stats as usual. And Gobert spoke loudly about the quiet part about Minnesota defensive strategy against their division rival.

“I always think he’s a team. It’s hard for people to understand that he can score 40 sometimes. But if he scores 40 and they don’t score 100 points as a team, that’s a win for us,” Gobert said, via Blue Wire’s Dane Moore . “I really try to limit him as much as I can, but I try to limit them as a team as much as I can. Sometimes I might not guard him directly, but even when I don’t guard him directly, I guard him.”

He asked Rudy Gobert what his procedure is for individual assessment in matches against Nikola Jokic.

“I always think as a team. It’s hard for people to understand that sometimes he can score 40. But if he scores 40 and they don’t score 100 points as a team, that’s a win for us. … pic.twitter.com/KFHpF550eKs

— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) March 2, 2026

The Timberwolves took the strategy against the Nuggets to the extreme

There are two schools of thought when playing the Nuggets. Teams can either decide to stop Jokic and let his supporting cast beat you, or vice versa. The Timberwolves made it their focal point to let Jokic get his way if it meant shutting down the rest of the team.

This defensive gambit of theirs worked. Jokic went 15-26 from the field and jumped for 35, but the rest of the team couldn’t go toe-to-toe against the Timberwolves. On the other hand, the Nuggets sold out to stop Anthony Edwards, but Minnesota’s support stepped up.