Rudy Gobert had 18 points, 14 rebounds, and seven blocks on Christmas Day, the standout performer in the NBA’s showcase nightcap. Once again, he was phenomenal on the defensive end, limiting the Blazers to just 88 points per 100 possessions when he was in the game.
First, there’s his ability to force misses at the rim. Obviously, with the seven blocks, he did that exceptionally well, and the Blazers only shot 51 percent at the rim all night. This one wasn’t his hardest of the game, but was one of the most unique ones because he just put both hands up like a volleyball player and smothered Damian Lillard’s drive.