After suffering what seemed like a serious knee injury but ended up being a contusion just seconds into Game 1 of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs, Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert hasn’t always played like himself in their series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Now after dropping Game 6 at home, the Jazz will ready themselves for a season-defining Game 7 in Los Angeles.
Before that highly anticipated Game 7 is upon us however, Gobert has something to say about the supposed one-sided officiating we’ve seen thus far in the series and especially in Game 6. Following from Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders:
Rudy Gobert with pointed comments on physicality/refs: "When we try to get physical, we get fouls called, so we can't really get physical."
— Ben Dowsett (@Ben_Dowsett) April 29, 2017
Gobert: "I try to do what DeAndre does. It'd be nice if we were allowed to do the same things."
— Ben Dowsett (@Ben_Dowsett) April 29, 2017
While there has been pretty constant complaining about the refs throughout this series, Gobert went as far as to say the Jazz weren’t getting calls like the Clippers were.
Specifically, Gobert compares himself to Clips All-Star center DeAndre Jordan, saying Jordan is allowed more leeway when it comes to foul calls. However, based off last night Gobert’s claims aren’t backed up as Jordan was called for 5 personal fouls on the evening while Gobert was charged with 3. Both being putrid free throw shooters, Jordan shot only one more free throw than Gobert as well, going 3-11 from the charity stripe while Gobert finished 5-10.
Both have similar play styles, finishing opportunities around the basket thanks to their superior athleticism while also protecting the paint like few can on the defensive end. With star forward Blake Griffin already sidelined due to injury for Los Angeles, the head-to-head matchup we’ve seen between Gobert and Jordan has been one of the focal points of this series.
With a do or die Game 7 approaching for both clubs, Jordan and Gobert will do everything in their power to will their team to a second round playoff berth where they will battle a powerhouse Golden State Warriors team.
