1 February 2024
The NBA handed down a $40,000 fine to Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards for “repeatedly publicly criticizing the officiating.”
Edwards unloaded on the officials in postgame comments spanning multiple interviews after Minnesota’s win over Oklahoma City on Monday. It was likely the multiple interviews that raised the fine above what most players usually get for criticizing officiating.
In an on-court interview with Bally Sports North, Edwards said, “I’m going to take the fine, because the refs did not give us no calls tonight. We had to play through every bump, every grab. I don’t know how we won tonight.”
Speaking later with ESPN, Edwards came out even stronger against the officiating.
“The refs was bad tonight. Yeah, they was terrible,” Edwards told ESPN. “We was playing 8-on-5. … The cat got their tongue tonight, so it’s all good. It’s not fair, but it’s all good.”
Edwards went on to say he hasn’t earned the respect of the officials yet, which he believes is why he doesn’t get certain calls.
“And then soon somebody come down from their team and get bumped, it’s a foul,” Edwards told ESPN. “So I just feel like it wasn’t a fair game tonight from the jump. And so that’s why I’m super happy we won the game.”
Edwards is also 10th in the NBA this season in technical fouls, having already accrued seven. Finch told Paul Allen on KFXN-100.3 Tuesday that he spoke to Edwards briefly after the game about his comments.
“If that’s how he feels, and I think he feels strongly about it and doing it after a win, he feels that maybe it grabs a little more attention,” Finch said.
Prime time
Minnesota’s home game on Feb. 23 against Milwaukee has been flexed to ESPN, with the tip-off moved to 9 p.m. as the game is the second of a doubleheader on the national network.
As a result of the moving of that tip time, Minnesota’s home game on Feb. 24 against Brooklyn was also bumped back to an 8 p.m. local tipoff.
When the schedule was first released in the offseason, the Timberwolves had just five true national TV games — contests aired by ESPN or TNT. But their strong season is leading to more eyeballs.
This is the second game that ESPN has added to its package, along with a contest earlier this season against San Antonio.
Conley returns
Mike Conley returned to action against Dallas on Wednesday after the starting guard missed four of Minnesota’s previous five games with hamstring soreness.