Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert claims NBA is trying to ‘help’ big market teams with playoff push 

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has claimed the NBA is conspiring against his team.

The Frenchman went off after the 107-100 loss to the Suns, and claimed Minnesota’s relatively small basketball market is the reason they are being ‘manipulated’ into situations which affect the outcome of games. 

‘It’s bulls***. Bulls***. It’s really not fair,’ Gobert said of officiating via the Star Tribune.

‘Every night. I’ve been in this league for 10 years and I try to always give the benefit of the doubt, but it’s hard for me to think [officials] are not trying to help [Phoenix] win tonight.’

The Suns won their third consecutive game as Kevin Durant returned after missing 10 games with an ankle sprain. It put Phoenix (41-35) two wins ahead of the Timberwolves (39-38).

Rudy Gobert blasted the league and NBA officials following Minnesota’s loss to the Suns

‘It’s hard for me to think they didn’t try to help the Warriors win the other night, or the Sacramento Kings the other night.’

Minnesota beat Sacramento 119-115 on Monday and Golden State 99-96 the day prior.  

‘It’s just so obvious,’ Gobert continued. ‘As a basketball player that’s been in this league for so long, it’s disrespectful, and it sucks, to be honest. 

‘We work so hard to be in a position to compete with the best, and we just get manipulated into those situations where it just impacts the game for the other team too much. They know how to do it. They do it a lot of different ways. Tonight was another way of doing it.

 ‘We understand that it’s also a business… We understand that we’re not the biggest of the markets, and we’re a team that… I think you want to see [Kevin Durant] in the playoffs, Steph [Curry] in the playoffs, you want to see LeBron in the playoffs. 

‘The Timberwolves are not there yet. We got to keep putting our head down, keep playing through that, and it’s frustrating for sure, especially for me.’

Minnesota are currently the No. 7 seed with five games remaining. Teams seeded No. 7-10 will be in the play-in.

The center believes his franchise are at a disadvantage due to its presence in a smaller market