In Los Angeles, standout player Anthony Edwards from the Minnesota Timberwolves has been handed a one-game suspension without pay following his 16th technical foul of the season. This incident occurred during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers. Edwards, who had recently pledged to steer clear of further technical fouls, was ejected after receiving two during Thursday night’s game. As a result, Edwards will not participate in the Timberwolves’ match against the Utah Jazz on Friday.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch expressed his expectation for Edwards to improve, noting, “He’s got to be better. He’s had too many outbursts. I think a lot of them are deserved. They’re going to miss some calls from time to time for sure. We’ve been talking to him about it. It’s on him.” Under NBA regulations, a player earns a one-game suspension once they accumulate 16 technical fouls in a season, with additional suspensions following every two further fouls.
The NBA did not specify whether further fines would be issued to Edwards for launching the ball into the stands post-ejection. To date, he has accumulated $285,000 in fines mostly due to inappropriate language. Earlier this season, following a $50,000 fine stemming from an obscene gesture, he vowed to avoid further technical infractions. According to crew chief James Williams, Edwards’ second technical was issued for using profanity towards an official during the game. Edwards was agitated believing a blocking foul should have been called on Lakers guard Gabe Vincent during his drive attempt.
Coach Finch defended Edwards, insisting that a foul should indeed have been marked. “It was a block. Just call the block and nothing happens,” expressed Finch. “After that, I don’t really know what was said and what was not said. Clearly, it was a block right in front of me.” At the time of Edwards’ ejection, the Timberwolves were trailing 74-59 with 5:21 left in the third quarter. Despite Edwards’ absence, the team managed to close the gap to within three points in the fourth quarter before ultimately succumbing to the Lakers.
Earlier, both Edwards and Los Angeles’ Jarred Vanderbilt received technical fouls for a physical altercation at the end of the first quarter. Edwards is currently ranking fourth in league scoring, averaging 27.3 points per game. In the recent match before his ejection, he contributed 18 points in 26 minutes on the court.
