Rudy Gobert will not play in Game 2 for the Utah Jazz because of knee injury

The Jazz will be without their star center Rudy Gobert for Game 2 of their first round matchup with the Clippers.

Everyone in Utah held the breath after Gobert left the court just seconds into Game 1, after banging knees with Luc Richard Mbah A Moute of the Clippers. Gobert has been arguably the most important player for the Jazz this season, anchoring their elite defense and developing into a legitimate offensive weapon with his ability to finish on the pick-and-roll.

Gobert did not return but the Jazz were still able to eke out a 97-95 victory thanks to some clutch shot-making by Joe Johnson and George Hill. An MRI after the game showed no structural damage to Gobert’s knee and it was unclear when he might be ready to get back on the court. Tony Jones of The Salt-Lake Tribune is reporting that Gobert has been ruled out for Game 2. His status will apparently be determined on a game-to-game basis moving forward.

While this is certainly bad news for the Jazz, it could have been much worse. They’re already stolen homecourt advantage from the Clippers and the possibility of Gobert returning in this series keeps hope alive. Gobert was seen at practice today shooting with a brace on his injured knee.

Derrick Favors will likely absorb the bulk of Gobert’s minutes, opening more room in the rotation for stretchier bigs like Boris Diaw and Trey Lyles, or small ball lineups featuring Joe Johnson. Utah’s rotation is deep and versatile. While they will miss Gobert’s presence enormously, they have enough talent to adapt and tweak their style of play to stay competitive.

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Gobert is a favorite for Defensive Player of the Year and led the league in both block percentage and true shooting percentage. His absence will absolutely help keep the Jazz-Clippers matchup close, and could make it one of the most competitive first round series.