Minnesota Timberwolves erased a 19-point deficit to beat San Antonio Spurs on Sunday by one point, but the hard-fought W came with a hefty price. Rudy Gobert was assessed a flagrant foul on Victor Wembanyama late in the game, giving him six flagrant foul points and an automatic one-game suspension.
According to rules, the four-time DPOY now sits out Tuesday’s matchup against Milwaukee Bucks. But the real damage runs deeper because any future flagrant — even a soft Flagrant 1 — means a two-game suspension for the rest of the regular season.
That’s a brutal blow for a Wolves squad riding a hot streak and desperately needing their anchor in the paint.
Rudy Gobert Hits Six Flagrant Points After Wild Closeout on Victor Wembanyama
With 7:24 left in the fourth quarter, Gobert got right into Wembanyama’s face recklessly during his three-point attempt. The Spurs star landed awkwardly on Gobert’s foot, flexing his ankle before getting ready for his next play.
Hye was immediately slapped with a Flagrant 1. But then the 33-year-old made the sequence harder for himself and the team as well after bumping a game official on his way to the bench, earning a technical foul.
That gifted San Antonio three free throws for the flagrant, one for the tech, and possession. It was a nightmare situation for the Wolves, who were trying to come back genuinely. And Wemby knocked down all four freebies to make the situation more difficult for Gobert’s squad.
Rudy Gobert has accumulated 6 flagrant foul points this season.
He is facing a 1-game suspension unless the flagrant foul is downgraded.
Gobert was hit with a flagrant 1 foul for this reckless closeout against Victor Wembanyama in Wolves-Spurs:pic.twitter.com/wQAs2oisXx
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 12, 2026
This marks Gobert’s fifth flagrant foul of the season. He’s racked up four Flagrant 1s and one Flagrant 2, which came in December when he shoved Phoenix’s Mark Williams mid-air. That Flagrant 2 equals two points, bringing his season total to six points, which is the automatic suspension threshold.
However, the math is unforgiving now. Per league rules, Gobert can’t afford another flagrant of any kind without facing a two-game suspension. But it will be very tough for him to play clean because he is a rim protector who lives in the paint.
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The Wolves have won their fifth game among six against the Spurs and are surging after a sluggish start. Since a 24-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks, they have flipped the script, reeling off multiple wins with Gobert as the defensive catalyst.
But now, without him, fans will likely keep their fingers crossed so that their 26-14 record doesn’t retake a sluggish road.
