Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards fined $40K for calling out refs after win over Thunder
MINNEAPOLIS — The NBA has fined Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards $40,000 for "repeatedly publicly criticizing the officiating," the league announced Wednesday.
Edwards' costly comments came in an interview after Monday's 107-101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"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."
During the game, Edwards took particular umbrage with a no-call on a dunk in which the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander appeared to grab Edwards' arm. The NBA's Last Two Minute Report, which reviews officiating calls at the end of close games, said the contact was "marginal" and the referees were correct in not assessing a foul.
The gulf between each team's free throws was not huge — the Wolves were 13/15 at the line, the Thunder 17/22 — but nearly three-quarters of the Thunder's free throws were taken by one player (Gilgeous-Alexander). Edwards was 4/4 from the line.
Beating the Thunder put the Wolves back on top in the Western Conference. Minnesota is 33-14 and plays the Dallas Mavericks at home Wednesday night.
The NBA fined Edwards $50,000 last season for swinging a chair and making contact with two bystanders after a playoff game. He was also fined $40,000 in 2022 for posting a video on Instagram in which he used a homophobic epithet.
Edwards signed a five-year contract extension worth up to $260 million with the Wolves last offseason.