Rudy Gobert and Mouhamed Gueye narrowly escaped injury on Monday night when a piece of the Target Center Jumbotron almost hit them. During the first quarter of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ victory over the Atlanta Hawks, the Jumbotron horn suddenly fell to the court as the players were walking to their benches. Gueye seemed unaware, but Gobert reacted quickly and jumped out of the way. Had he been a step closer, he would have been hit.
Fortunately, both players were unharmed, and the game continued as planned. The cause of the scoreboard piece falling remains unknown.
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 23 points, helping them improve to a 25-21 record for the season. Gobert contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Julius Randle added 20 points and eight rebounds. Despite a brief confrontation between Gobert and Onyeka Okongwu in the second quarter, the Timberwolves maintained a 17-point lead at halftime and secured the win.
De’Andre Hunter led the Hawks with 35 points off the bench in their fifth consecutive loss. Keaton Wallace scored 13 points, and Clint Capela had 10 points and 15 rebounds.
The Timberwolves will play in Phoenix on Wednesday to start a two-game road trip before returning to the Target Center on Saturday. The arena staff will have time to repair the scoreboard before then.