Rudy Gobert doubles-up on gesture to refs that earned him a $100,000 fine last time

You never have to wonder what Rudy Gobert is feeling. Wait a few seconds and he'll tell you, whether with his words or body language.

For example, when he was called for an offensive foul for pushing Jamal Murray in the back on a crucial fourth-quarter possession in Game 4 and he walked back up the court rubbing the fingers on both hands together in the universal sign for "get the bag."

This is not the first time Gobert has implicitly accused NBA referees of making bad calls for financial gain. Back in March, he was fined $100,000 for making the same gesture at officials during a game and then explaining his rationale like this (h/t The Athletic):

“Mistakes happen. Referees make mistakes, too. But sometimes I think it’s more than mistakes. I think everyone that’s in this league knows. I think it’s got to get better. I know the betting and all that is becoming bigger and bigger, but it shouldn’t feel that way.”

In their press release announcing the fine, the NBA made a point of stating: "This fine takes into account Gobert's past instances of conduct detrimental to the NBA with regard to publicly criticizing the officiating."

Given that point and the fact that he doubled up by using both hands, it seems likely that a pretty big fine could once again be headed his way. It's also worth noting that in both games he did this gesture, Scott Foster was the officiating crew chief.

Gobert may be fine taking the fine (see what I did there?), but he clearly shoved Murray and making gambling allegations (even casual ones) feels slightly more loaded now than it did in early March, given the scandal with Jontay Porter and the lifetime ban the NBA handed him.

Gobert and the Wolves were unable to complete the fourth-quarter comeback and dropped their second-straight game at home. The series with the Nuggets is now tied 2-2 and Game 5 will be Tuesday, May 14, in Denver.