Rudy Gobert is sitting out Tuesday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Minnesota Timberwolves center picked up his sixth flagrant foul point of the season, and that means an automatic one-game suspension from the NBA.
The league’s pretty clear about this rule. Once you hit five points, you’re done.
What Got Him Suspended
The flagrant that pushed Gobert over the limit happened in the final moments of Minnesota’s 104-103 win over San Antonio. He was contesting a three-pointer from Victor Wembanyama when officials hit him with a Flagrant 1.
The reason? Gobert didn’t give Wembanyama enough space to land safely.
That one point brought his total to six for the season. And once you’re there, the NBA doesn’t take appeals or second looks.
The following has been released by the NBA.
– NBA Communications (@NBAPR)
How This Flagrant Points Thing Actually Works
If you’re not familiar with the NBA’s flagrant system, here’s the quick version.
The league hands out two types of flagrant fouls. A Flagrant 1 is worth one point and means unnecessary contact. A Flagrant 2 is worth two points, usually gets you ejected, and means the contact was excessive or potentially dangerous.
Six points triggers your first automatic suspension. But it gets worse from there. Another Flagrant 1 after that? Another one-game ban. A Flagrant 2 could mean sitting out multiple games.
So Gobert’s walking on pretty thin ice for the rest of the 2025-26 season. One more questionable play and he’s looking at another suspension.
The NBA announced that Rudy Gobert has been suspended 1 game for reaching 6 flagrant foul points.
The suspension will cost Gobert $201,149.
The Timberwolves will also receive a tax variance credit of $100,575.
– Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42)
Gobert’s Take on the Call
After the Spurs game, Gobert didn’t exactly hide his frustration. But he kept it measured.
“I try to be aggressive contesting shots,” he told reporters. “I don’t think there’s, at any time, any intention of getting anybody hurt.”
He gets that the league wants to protect players. That’s fair. But he also thinks defenders need some protection too when they’re just trying to do their job and challenge shots.
It’s a tricky balance, really.
What This Means for Minnesota
Losing Gobert for even one game is a big deal for the Timberwolves. He’s their defensive anchor – the guy everything revolves around on that end of the floor.
This season, he’s averaging 11.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. And get this: he’s shooting 71.7% from the field, which leads the entire team.
Minnesota’s sitting near the top of the Western Conference right now. A lot of that success comes from Gobert’s rim protection and his ability to clean the glass.
The frontcourt depth is going to be tested against Milwaukee. The Bucks aren’t exactly an easy matchup when you’re missing your starting center.
The good news? Gobert can return after just this one game, assuming he doesn’t pick up any other issues. But you can bet he’ll be playing a bit more carefully going forward.
