Rudy Gobert, whose positive COVID-19 test in March led to the suspension of the NBA season, said he was grateful to be back on the court — and keying Utah’s win against New Orleans — on Thursday night.
One hundred and forty-one nights after his positive coronavirus test triggered the suspension of the NBA season, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert scored the first points of the league’s restart, converting a drop-step move over former teammate Derrick Favors on the opening possession of Thursday night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. More important, Gobert also scored the game’s final points, hitting a pair of go-ahead free throws with 6.9 seconds remaining. „I’m just grateful,“ Gobert told ESPN in a telephone interview after the Jazz’s 106-104 victory at Walt Disney World’s HP Field House. „Just grateful to be able to do what I love to do. After everything that I’ve personally and everything the world is going through right now, to be able to keep inspiring millions of kids around the world and keep spreading positivity is just a blessing. „And it’s great to start with a win, of course.“ It was also a fitting way to end the win, as shooting guard Donovan Mitchell broke down the defense with dribble penetration and fed Gobert to lead to the free throws. A foul by Favors prevented Gobert from finishing with a highlight-worthy dunk, but the play still stood as proof that the Jazz co-stars whose rift dominated news coverage of the franchise for months could continue to have a productive working partnership. „Donovan was trying to make the right play and he did,“ said Gobert, who had 14 points,12 rebounds and 3 blocks in the win, which was sealed when Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. „A lot of people probably won’t be able to probably say the things they want to say to try to break our team apart. Like I said, life works in mysterious ways.
