Jordi Fernandez on Gobert’s Dominance: ‘I Don’t Care if We Don’t Have Two Bigs’

Brooklyn couldn't contain Minnesota on the interior.

Apr 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) dunks against the Brooklyn Nets in the third quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Superstar centers have posed countless problems to the 2024-25 Brooklyn Nets, and the team's road finale was no different. Left without Nic Claxton or Day'Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn had no answers for Rudy Gobert—resulting in a 117-91 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In relief of Claxton and Sharpe, Drew Timme started at the five—posting 11 points and 10 rebounds (his third double-double since signing with the Nets) on an inefficient 5-of-21 shooting from the field. Appearing in just his NBA eighth game, drawing a matchup with a four-time Defensive Player of the Year was sure to present its struggles. The blame doesn't fall solely on Timme; rather, the entire rotation holds responsibility in the eyes of its lead man.

“Yeah, no excuses. I don’t care if we don’t have two bigs,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said via Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “For the same reason instead of 41 we should’ve shot 60 3s, and we didn’t. If you’re not bigger than them, then you have to bring physicality, be there early, take charges. We fouled, [but] soft fouls and some and-ones. Those things are things that we have to do better.” 

Tying his career-high set back in 2017, Gobert tallied 35 points while grabbing 11 rebounds—missing just two of his 15 shots en route to his second-straight monster statline against Brooklyn. Back on April 3, Gobert recorded 21 points and 18 rebounds, flirting with a 20-20 game in a similarly-dominant team performance.

“We didn’t win a single quarter, so I have higher expectations for the group and how we want to handle all those games. I’m OK with losing a game. I’m not OK with not fighting the right way,” Fernandez said.

With just one game remaining in the regular season, there's a chance the Nets get a final opportunity to prove themselves against one of the league's elite big men. Tomorrow's season finale against the New York Knicks—and potentially Karl Anthony-Towns, assuming head coach Tom Thibodeau doesn't rest his stars—provides Brooklyn the chance to shore up the interior heading into the offseason.

Nets-Knicks is slated for 3:30 p.m. EST at the Barclays Center.

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