Rudy Gobert’s defensive metrics have been largely excellent to start the season. Every time he has been on the court, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ defense has been the equivalent of a top-five unit. Every time he sits, they are the worst defense in the league.
The eye test had not been as kind to Gobert in the first five games of the season. He had reached double-digit rebounds just one time. His lateral movement, particularly on Austin Reaves’ game-winning shot Wednesday night, seemed to be lacking. He had been blocking some shots, but opponents did not appear to be scared at all of challenging him.
It was more of the same early in Charlotte on Saturday, where the Hornets racked up 31 points in the first quarter and led 56-50 at the half. Gobert had only 4 rebounds and didn’t have a blocked shot in the first two quarters. This, after he managed just 11 rebounds total in the previous two games, losses to the Nuggets and Lakers.
Then came the third quarter against the Hornets, when he finally looked as close as he has this season to the four-time Defensive Player of the Year. Gobert scored 6 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, blocked a shot and was a plus-18 in all 12 minutes. The Wolves rode that momentum to a 122-105 victory, snapping a two-game skid.
nope. ❌ pic.twitter.com/FU3KNC3yUu
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 1, 2025
It was the 10th time in his career that he has grabbed at least 10 rebounds in a quarter. He finished with 14 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. The Timberwolves outscored the Hornets by 31 points in his 35 minutes on the floor.
It is exactly what Gobert was talking about earlier in the week when taking ownership of the Timberwolves’ defensive issues. They were ranked 27th in the league in defensive rating coming into the game, a tacitly unacceptable ineptitude for a team with Gobert in the paint. After coach Chris Finch called him and Jaden McDaniels out to give more on that end of the floor, Gobert agreed.
“I have to set the tone every single minute that I’m on the floor,” Gobert said after the loss to the Nuggets. “I set the standards for the team. So it definitely starts with me. It starts with me, and being able to hold each other accountable at the highest level.”
It is no coincidence that when Gobert started dominating, the Timberwolves looked much closer to the team that has gone to back-to-back conference finals. The defensive intensity fueled their offense in a 36-18 quarter. The Wolves shot 56 percent in the quarter, scored 8 points off 7 turnovers from Charlotte and took control of a game that was looking shaky at best up to that point.
The Wolves held the Hornets to 43 points combined in the second and third quarters. That is no small feat this season. Charlotte entered the night ranked fourth in the league in offensive efficiency, but shot 39.5 percent for the game, including 28.9 percent from 3.
“I think getting stops (was key),” Gobert told FanDuel Sports Network North after the game. “In order to get rebounds, you first get a stop. I thought we did a much better job as a team in the third quarter.”
A few more thoughts from a much-needed win.
DiVincenzo’s toughness
Donte DiVincenzo has been waiting to make a real impact on a game this season, but he first had to endure one before he could get going against the Hornets. He had to leave the game after Collin Sexton elbowed him in the face, bloodying his nose, on a layup.
DiVincenzo remarkably returned, with an open wound and his nose shaped like a question mark. The team has not announced the nature of his injury yet, but his nose certainly looked broken. And yet, he kept playing and won a duel with a particularly vocal fan sitting near the court.
DiVincenzo missed seven of his first eight shots, including the first two after he came back from his injury. In the middle of his struggle, according to several people who were seated courtside, a fan started talking some serious trash.
“Who are you?” the fan barked.
DiVincenzo is a fiery competitor, and it perked him right up. He scored 14 points and hit 4 3s after the fan started going at him, playing a big role in the Wolves’ separation from the Hornets in the second half.
letting it flyyyy. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/T6JJ53RHbR
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 1, 2025
His nose was crooked. His shooting was straight. DiVincenzo finished with 18 points and 4 assists and was 5 for 12 from 3.
Finch’s faith
The Timberwolves’ coach has a dilemma on his hands with Rob Dillingham. The young guard needs time to play, to learn, to make mistakes and to adjust. But the struggles, especially on defense, have been so stark that the Wolves often have trouble winning games while he is going through the process.
It is going to require some patience from Finch, who knows that every win is important in what is expected to be a jam-packed Western Conference playoff race. And patience was certainly required Saturday night.
Dillingham had a rough first shift, scoring two points but getting torched on defense. The Wolves were outscored by 11 points in his 6 minutes in the first quarter, but Finch stuck with him in the second half.
Dillingham entered at roughly the same time in the third quarter as he did in the first. This time, he was paired with Gobert for his entire shift, and he flourished. He had only 2 points and 2 assists, but he also had 2 steals and battled defensively. The Wolves outscored the Hornets by 13 points in his 6 minutes in the third, the most comfortable he has looked on the court this season.
S H I F T Y. pic.twitter.com/KZALS2tTcY
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 1, 2025
Finch had a decision to make in the fourth quarter. The Hornets were narrowing the gap, but Mike Conley, who played very well again, needed a rest. Finch could have gone with a more veteran option. He’s gone to Bones Hyland over Dillingham for most of the season.
But Dillingham earned that time in the fourth, and Finch inserted him with a 101-92 lead and 5:29 to play. Dillingham held the fort, leaving with the Wolves up by 12 points three minutes later.
He finished with 4 points, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 turnovers in 15:31, a step in the right direction for a young player who needed one.
Jaylen Clark returns
It should be no surprise that the first time the Timberwolves showed a defensive pulse this week came with the return of Jaylen Clark. He missed the previous two games, both ugly losses and pathetic defensive performances, with a strained calf. The injury was a concern because it was on the same leg in which Clark tore his Achilles tendon in college.
But it turned out to be a minor thing, and Clark was cleared to play Saturday night. He made his presence felt immediately and has asserted himself as the team’s most consistent defender this season. On a team with Gobert and McDaniels, that is saying something.
STEAL ➡️ SLAM pic.twitter.com/euzhg6GOWu
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 2, 2025
Clark had 6 points and 1 rebound in 19 minutes against the Hornets, and the Wolves outscored Charlotte by 19 points when he was on the court. For a team looking to reclaim its defensive identity, getting Clark back was a critical addition.
— Jaylen (@jayl7en) November 2, 2025
Randle shines
It is way too early to start talking about All-Star weekend in February, but Julius Randle has made quite a statement to start this season as he builds his case for a fourth bid.
Randle scored 30 points and grabbed 7 rebounds against the Hornets, another night in which he carried so much of the scoring load while Anthony Edwards recovers from his hamstring injury. He was 12-for-19 from the field, including 3-for-6 from deep, another very efficient night.
30 FOR 3️⃣0️⃣. pic.twitter.com/yxTxy7jCmV
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 2, 2025
Randle is averaging 27.2 points per game and shooting 56.4 percent from the field. He is one of just four players in the league this season averaging more than 27.0 points and shooting better than 55 percent. His 163 points scored is the highest total in the first six games of a season in his career.
Randle went in depth with The Athletic before the season on the struggles he had in his final days in New York and the comfort he and his family have found in Minnesota. That has carried over into this season, where he has been so consistent as an offensive force.
“I know exactly what I want to do, where I want to get the ball, my options, my reads,” Randle said last week. “If I get double-teamed in the post, I’m a quarterback, knowing my progressions of what’s happening. The chemistry and the rhythm are there, and I feel like it’s just going to get better and better.”