In the frenetic chaos of a second-quarter rebound scrap—where elbows fly, and every inch of paint feels like contested territory—Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert swung his right arm wide, a classic box-out move gone slightly haywire. What followed was a split-second drama that had Paycom Center buzzing and social media erupting: Oklahoma City Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein crumpled to the floor, clutching his face as if he’d just absorbed a haymaker from the French defensive titan.

But here’s the twist that turned heads and sparked endless replays- Gobert’s arm barely grazed him. If at all. Slow-motion footage revealed the lightest of brushes, perhaps the gentlest of touches, a whisper of a fingertip against Hartenstein’s cheek, more accidental than aggressive.

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