Few players in the NBA can turn off Anthony Edwards.
Unfortunately for Edwards, he is one of them.
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ All-Star Guard again showed this week that he can be his own worst enemy. Edwards pulled their 18th technical foul of the season during the first half of Friday’s victory 117-91 over Brooklyn Nets and triggered an automatic suspension with a game from the league.
It does not mean the NBA recovers the technical-comes Edwards to be forced to sit and watch Sunday’s regular seasonal final when Minnesota meets Utah Jazz.
It’s not just a regular seasonal game. It can be a must-win if Timberwolves wants to lock in a top-sex finish in the Western Conference and avoid the risk of a play-in game.
Edwards admitted to reporters after the game that he used tracking while arguing for a conversation with the NBA official Ray Acosta. He had shown frustration over a couple of conversations during the first quarter, and things boiled over halfway through the second.
“I pray they abolished it,” Edwards said. “I don’t feel that it should have been a technique, but I and Ray have a good relationship. We talked it after the fact. But I don’t think I deserved a technique for the little gesture.”
Predictable, Timberwolve’s head coach Chris Finch side with his star.
“I thought it was an unhappy whistle,” Finch said. “I don’t know the details that were said (between Edwards and the official one). I don’t think it was something too offensive – really didn’t think it guaranteed a technical.”
Now Edwards and Timberwolves feel a bit like a driver who has been pulled over for speed and hopes the judge will release them. Yes, maybe they went too fast – but not to fast.
Maybe Edwards and Finch have a point. Maybe it was a tough conversation, and maybe the Acosta trigger drew the technology faster than usual. Maybe it doesn’t happen nine times out of 10.
But here is the problem: Edwards knew he was sitting on 17 technical fouls. He knew another would result in a suspension.
He also knew that Timberwolves were locked up in a playoffs in a crowded Western conference. He knew that the regular season was down on a photo finish, and he knew that Minnesota only had one game left to improve his position.
None of that was a secret.
And yet Edwards put himself able to get up-eventually leaving their team short in their most important game in the season.
Yes, the NBA could recall the technical. But Edwards could have avoided all this by dealing with their emotions and staying focused on the bigger picture.
It helps that Minnesota’s last opponent is Utah -a full -fence team and chases the No. 1 choice in the NBA draft. Jazz has dropped 10 of its last 11 games, and ski could pay off if they land Duke forward Cooper flag as the next face of the franchise.
But crazy things happen in the NBA all the time. One of Utah’s 17 wins this season came against Timberwolves – a victory 117–116 on February 28.
And you know who was not available for that game?
You guessed it. Edwards.
