Anthony Edwards, the emerging superstar guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves, just picked up his NBA-leading 18th technical foul of the season. Any infraction of this type results in an automatic one-game suspension for him. Minny got dinged with a technical for arguing a call in the Timberwolves-Brooklyn Nets game. This foul has big ramifications as they head into their last regular season game.
It was midway through the second quarter when the incident happened. Edwards was whistled for a questionable personal foul while full-court pressing Brooklyn’s Keon Johnson. Frustrated by the officiating, an incredulous Edwards let the refs know it, which got him the tee. Under NBA rules, any player that receives 16 technical fouls over the course of the regular season is automatically suspended for one game. As a result, Edwards will be out for the Timberwolves’ potentially play-in game deciding clash with the Utah Jazz on Sunday.
The Timberwolves should understand just how vital this next game will be. They’re playing to just keep pace in a tight formatting in the Western Conference playoff standings. More than anything, the Timberwolves are itching to earn a top-six seed and steer clear of the play-in tournament. They view a top-four finish in-conference as a legitimate goal. The Mavericks will have to take care of business against the Jazz if they hope to improve their postseason chances.
The Timberwolves organization is pursuing all available options, but they are optimistic that Edwards’ technical foul will be reviewed and possibly even rescinded. The NBA has made the substantive review of technical fouls possible, and as such can make corrections when appropriate. Should they succeed in this endeavor, it would allow Edwards to participate in the pivotal game, bolstering the team’s chances as they aim for a favorable playoff seed.
This is not the first time Edwards has faced suspension this season. On February 28, he had the same problem against Utah, where he was benched during the game for receiving an excessive number of technical fouls. In fact, the league has strict penalties for accrued technical fouls, with every two resulting in a longer suspension.
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