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Tim MacMahon
LOS ANGELES — Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards faces an automatic one-game suspension after picking up two technical fouls in Thursday night’s 111-102 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, giving him 16 this season.
Edwards will have to sit out Friday’s road game against the Utah Jazz unless one of his technicals against the Lakers gets rescinded upon review by the league office.
“Whatever they’re gonna do, bruh,” Edwards told ESPN as he exited Crypto.com Arena briefly after the final buzzer. “I don’t even know. They should [rescind the second technical].”
Edwards was ejected after drawing his second technical foul of the night with 5:21 remaining in the third quarter.
As Edwards walked toward the tunnel, he tossed the ball into the crowd, drawing a delay-of-game warning.
Edwards and Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt were called for double technical fouls when they exchanged shoves at the end of the first quarter.
His second technical of the game occurred after Edwards complained about a no-call when he felt he got fouled on a drive. He fell after Lakers guard Gabe Vincent‘s left foot clipped the back of Edwards’ right leg; he griped at referee Brent Barnaky while sitting on the floor.
“[Edwards] was issued his second unsportsmanlike technical foul for directing profanity towards a game official,” crew chief James Williams told a pool reporter.
Williams said Barnaky took into consideration that a second technical foul would result in an ejection before making the call against Edwards.
According to ESPN Research, Edwards is the first player to receive 16 technical fouls before March since DeMarcus Cousins in 2016-17.
Edwards has been called for four technical fouls in four games since the All-Star break.
“He’s got to be better,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “He’s had too many outbursts. I think a lot of them are deserved. They’re going to miss some calls from time to time for sure, so he’s got to be better. We’ve been talking to him about it, so it’s on him.”