Rudy Gobert injury update: No structural damage, but status still uncertain

Less than 17 seconds into the Game 1 between the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers, Jazz’ C Rudy Gobert went down after colliding knees. An MRI after the game revealed no structural damage. His status for the rest of the series remains unknown.

The Utah Jazz were looking to lean on F Gordon Hayward and their defensive anchor, Rudy Gobert, in the playoffs. It was the team’s first trip to the postseason since 2012.

Unfortunately, Gobert went down in a bang-bang play, and was carried off the court by his teammates.

According to the Vertical’s Shams Charania, Gobert had an MRI on his left knee after the game. It revealed that he had a hyperextension in his left knee and a bone bruise.

Charania goes on to add that his status for the rest of the series is up in the air.

If Gobert isn’t able to go for the rest of this series, it could have a dramatic impact on how it plays out. The Jazz really needed the 24-year old’s defensive prowess and rebounding against the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan.

Without Gobert, the Jazz did win Game 1 against the Clippers, but it took a Joe Johnson game winner. Will they be able to sustain this success without Gobert? Let’s take a look.

Utah’s backup center, Derrick Favors, played 32 minutes in last night’s contest. He was sensational, with 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting, but looked visibly tired at the end of the game.

Favors averaged around 23 minutes in the regular season, so if Gobert can’t go, can Favors consistently play a lot of minutes?

Favors is also a little bit undersized at 6-foot-10, so he’ll have more difficulty protecting the rim than Gobert, who’s 7-foot-1.

Jeff Withey is another center on the Jazz who has size, but he’s not nearly as skilled as the other two. Withey played nine minutes, but wasn’t nearly as effective as Favors.

The Jazz are going to need others to step up in the absence of the Frenchman, and they got exactly that from “Iso” Joe last night. Johnson poured in 21 on 9-on-14 shooting, along with his buzzer-beating floater.

Next: Jazz steal Game 1 from the Clippers: 3 takeaways

Regardless if they have Gobert or not, head coach Quin Snyder will have the Jazz ready to go for Game 2, as they look to steal two games in Los Angeles.