Shaquille O’Neal Refuses to Praise Rudy Gobert for Nikola Jokic Defense
The No. 3 seed Denver Nuggets trail the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves 3-1 in their first-round playoff series.
On Saturday night, the Timberwolves extended their series lead with a 112-96 Game 4 victory at Minnesota's Target Center.
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic finished the game with 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, but he wasn't efficient in the Game 4 loss. The three-time NBA MVP shot 8/22 from the field and 0/3 from behind the 3-point arc.
Jokic credited the effort of four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.
"You know, I’m not shooting the ball really well, especially from the three, and you know, Rudy is doing a good job with being physical, testing the officials, contesting shots,’’ Jokic said after Game 4, via Jason Quick of The Athletic. “You know, he’s a really good defender."
NBA analyst Shaquille O'Neal wasn't so quick to credit Gobert for Jokic's rough shooting night.
"The Joker has dominated [Gobert] a lot. He has two bad games so now ya'll are saying Rudy is shutting him down?" O'Neal said in response to praise of Gobert from Charles Barkley and Jalen Rose.
“When you’re a guy like Joker, you’re just missing shots. I’m not going to sit up here and say Rudy Gobert is shutting him down," O'Neal continued. "I’m never going to say that.”
Shaq refused to give Rudy Gobert his flowers for his defense on Jokic:
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 26, 2026
“When you’re a guy like Joker, you’re just missing shots. I’m not going to sit up here and say Rudy Gobert is shutting him down, I’m never going to say that.”
(h/t @NBA__Courtside) pic.twitter.com/de2BSmDzLh
Though the Timberwolves won Game 4 on Saturday night, the team lost two of its key players to injuries. Donte DiVincenzo suffered a season-ending Achilles tear, and Anthony Edwards sustained a bone bruise on his knee that will hold him off the court for multiple weeks.
Game 4 ended in a scuffle that resulted in ejections for Jokic and Timberwolves forward Julius Randle.
Game 5 will tipoff at 10:30 p.m. ET on Monday night as the series heads back to Denver.