Rudy Gobert’s Shocking Suspension: What Sparked the NBA’s Unexpected One-Game Ban?

Rudy Gobert will be noticeably missing when the Minnesota Timberwolves face off against the Milwaukee Bucks this Tuesday — and yeah, that’s causing quite a stir. Just days after edging out the Spurs in a nail-biter, Gobert picked up a flagrant foul that pushed him over the edge with his sixth foul point of the season, resulting in an automatic suspension. It’s one of those moments where the rules catch up quickly — with flagrant foul points stacking up, the NBA penalizes players seriously to keep the game safe and fair. At 33, Gobert is no stranger to the grit and grind of the league, but this latest setback means he’ll have to watch the TNT from the sidelines, no doubt leaving the Timberwolves scrambling a bit. Oh, and with the Wolves at 26-14 and perched fourth in the West, missing a pivotal player like Gobert adds even more drama going into this match. If you want all the gritty details and the fallout from the foul itself, you’ll definitely want to dive in deeper. LEARN MORE

The Minnesota Timberwolves won’t have center Rudy Gobert when the team takes the court for Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Gobert was issued a one-game suspension from the NBA on Monday after he was called for a flagrant foul during the Timberwolves’ narrow 104-103 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

The NBA announced its decision Monday, explaining Gobert accrued his sixth flagrant foul point during Sunday’s game, leading to an automatic suspension.

Gobert received the penalty with 7:24 remaining in the contest. While trying to defend a Victor Wembanyama three, Gobert did not give the Spurs’ star enough landing space on the play. He was called for a penalty and eventually assessed. with a flagrant foul, which triggered an automatic suspension.

Gobert came into the contest with five flagrant foul points on the season. Under the NBA’s flagrant foul points system, a player with at least five flagrant foul points is automatically given a suspension if they are called for a flagrant foul 1 or higher during a game.

The 33-year-old Gobert is now in a situation where he would receive an automatic suspension every time he commits another flagrant foul. If that foul is classified as a flagrant foul 1 next time, Gobert would receive a one-game ban. If he commits a flagrant foul 2, he would reach seven flagrant foul points on the season and automatically be suspended for two games.

Players who reach seven flagrant foul points in a single season are automatically assessed a two-game suspension for each additional flagrant foul, regardless of the severity of that foul.

Gobert is in the midst of yet another strong season, and is averaging 11 points and 11.4 rebounds over 40 games. At 26-14, the Timberwolves sit in fourth place in the Western Conference entering Tuesday’s game.