Rudy Goes Down
On quite literally the first play of the first game of their first playoff series, the Jazz were dealt a gigantic blow when star center Rudy Gobert suffered an injury banging knees setting a screen.
He was unable to put weight on it initially and hobbled to the locker room with the help of a trainer. Reports varied at first, but it was certain that the Jazz would not see him back for at least the rest of the game.
Utah was forced to adjust on the fly (more on that later), but the loss of Gobert will continue to affect them for the rest of the series, or at least however long he is out.
Can a makeshift center rotation continue to hold their own on the glass? The Jazz rebounded 28 out of the Clippers’ 45 missed field goals on Saturday, while Los Angeles took in 32 of the Utah’s 41 misses.
Luckily, the Jazz only allowed eight offensive rebounds, although this did equate to 21 second-chance points. Derrick Favors, who had only six boards, needs to step up production in that area.
Although it was initially assumed to have ended his postseason, the latest reports say Gobert does not have a ligament tear or any other serious ailment. The Jazz released the following statement, diagnosing the injury as a hyperextension and bone contusion.
"Gobert was initially examined at STAPLES Center by the Utah Jazz medical staff and underwent X-rays on his left knee, the results of which were negative. He was then transported off-site for further magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) testing, which revealed no ligament damage. He has been diagnosed with a left knee hyperextension and bone contusion. He will continue to be reevaluated and further updates will be provided when appropriate."
Gobert was also spotted moving around at practice Monday. He wore a knee brace, but seemed to be, from those in attendance, in high spirits:
Rudy Gobert is shooting after today's practice, with a small brace on his left knee. pic.twitter.com/ixKC9kIoDz
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) April 17, 2017
He’s been ruled out for Game 2, but the small chance of Rudy making his return sooner rather than later should give any Jazz fan hope, as despite their hard-fought success, he’s still an invaluable asset to their team.