It’s been a while coming, but Ricky Rubio now has his first triple-double in the NBA.
The Spanish international posted numbers of 21 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists as the Minnesota Timberwolves routed the San Antonio Spurs 107-83. This was Rubio’s night despite possible problems in the future for Spurs’ coach Gregg Popovich as Kawhi Lenard and Tim Duncan were rested, Stephen Jackson did not play in the fourth and Manu Ginobili playing just eight second half minutes, indicating that Pop had parked the San Antonio car into neutral and saw that defeat was inevitable.
The last time that something similar like that happened, Popovich got slapped with a $250,000 fine.
But, as said, this was Rubio’s night as he warmed up the crowd, who had braved temperatures of -4 to get inside the Target Center and at the same time shown that he is over his torn knee ligament that kept him sidelined for what was affectively the entire year of 2012. He was forced to sit out playing for Spain at the Olympic Games in London too.
He is playing so confidently right now, and with Kevin Love out with a hand injury, the former FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year is fast becoming the name all T’Wolves are gabbing about. Something none of us would have been saying when Eurobasket 2011 concluded.
Now, Rubio, who will hopefully suit up for Spain in Slovenia this summer will go into Eurobasket as one of the key players to watch for as his nation looks for the three-peat.
Last night against the Spurs, the T’Wolves number nine showed us flashes of what he played like at 16-years-old. A guard that was clearly streets ahead of everyone else on the court; right now, with the injuries to Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo, Rubio is coming forward as one of the brightest and most up and coming point guards in the NBA.
Here is the video of Rubio’s first NBA triple-double.
{youtube}aGaUGKzQ-xs{/youtube}
