Calling out NBA officiating almost guarantees a fine. But Anthony Edwards said he would be willing to pay to dish it out after the Timberwolves' latest game. He dished it out and now he's set to pay a $40,000 fine levied by the NBA.
While the Timberwolves bested the Thunder, 107-101, their star shooting guard was not happy with the officiating. He claimed there were countless missed calls on would-be Oklahoma City fouls.
"The refs was bad tonight. Yeah, they was terrible," Edwards told ESPN after the game. "We was playing 8-on-5."
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Before Edwards left the floor, he was complaining to teammates about how the game was called. While celebrating with center Rudy Gobert, he could be seen making a pointed comment: "Cheating a— refs." And in his postgame TV interview, he put the officials on blast.
When asked how the Timberwolves picked up the win, Edwards responded that he didn't know, given how lopsided he felt the officiating had been.
"I'm gonna take the fine because the refs did not give us no calls tonight," Edwards said. "We had to play through every bump, every grab. I don't know. I don't know how we won tonight."
Anthony Edwards didn't hold back after the 107-101 win over the Thunder. Hear from Edwards after his 27-point performance. 🔊@LeaBOlsen | #RaisedByWolves | #NBA pic.twitter.com/C3QnKj95FS
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) January 30, 2024
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Edwards finished Monday's game with 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range. He also made all four attempts from the free-throw line. Overall, the Timberwolves went 13-of-15 from the line. By comparison, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went 15-of-16 on free throw attempts.
But Edwards did not have any problems with Gilgeous-Alexander earning those trips to the line. He praised the Thunder's star guard as "unstoppable." Gilgeous-Alexander ranks fourth in the NBA in free throw attempts per game, averaging 9.2 per contest.
"Him getting to the line, he do that in his sleep," Edwards said, per ESPN. "Nobody can guard him. He's good. He's super good. But yeah, the refs was bad tonight."
