Rudy Gobert injures knee on first possession of playoff career, diagnosed with hyperextension, contusion

Rudy Gobert fell to the floor with a knee injury 11 seconds into his playoff career, and did not return for the Utah Jazz in their Game 1 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Gobert has been diagnosed with a left knee hyperextension and a bone contusion after an MRI late Saturday night revealed no ligament damage. Gobert’s status for the rest of the series remains up in the air.

Gobert went to set a screen for Gordon Hayward on the very first possession of the game at Staples Center in Los Angeles, and collided awkwardly with Luc Mbah a Moute:

Gobert immediately reached for his left knee as the pass intended for him sailed out of bounds. He tried to lift himself back to his feet, but couldn’t, and eventually had to be helped off the court and to the locker room.

Late in the first quarter, the Jazz ruled him out for the game. X-rays on the knee came back negative. Gobert subsequently left the arena to undergo an MRI off site “for precautionary reasons.” The MRI provided the good news of no structural damage, but it remains unclear whether Gobert will be able to return later in the series, or for a potential second-round series.

Gobert, the league’s leading shot blocker, is a major loss for the Jazz, who are making their first playoff appearance since 2012 as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference. Gobert averaged 14 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in his fourth NBA season. The France native was considered a leading contender for defensive player of the year, and anchored a defense that ranked third in the NBA in defensive efficiency during the regular season.

In fact, with Gobert on the court, the Jazz were the top defensive team in the league. Without him on the floor, they ranked 20th in opponent points per possession. Gobert didn’t just block shots, his mere presence as a help defender scared opposing guards away from charging toward the rim.

Gobert’s real plus-minus ranked fifth in the entire league, and his defensive real plus-minus ranked first. Utah’s net rating with Gobert on the floor was significantly higher than it was with Gobert on the bench:

It would therefore be an even bigger loss for Utah if Gobert were to miss the remainder of the series. Game 2 is Tuesday in Los Angeles. The teams then jet to Utah for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and next Sunday.

Gobert does not have an extensive injury history, but did miss a month in 2015-16 after suffering a Grade 2 MCL sprain in practice. The injury was to his left knee — the same knee Gobert injured Saturday night.

While Gobert is out, Snyder will be forced to feature Derrick Favors more often at the five. Reserve center Jeff Withey could also see an uptick in minutes.

With Favors playing 32 minutes and contributing 15 points, the Jazz held on to beat the Clippers in Game 1, 97-95, on a buzzer-beater from Joe Johnson.