Anthony Edwards technical foul: Timberwolves star can’t believe call to stare at Reggie Jackson

On By Vaseline

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is one of the burgeoning faces of the NBA, but he didn’t get the star treatment from the officials in Saturday’s Game 1 against the Nuggets.

Edwards beat Denver’s Reggie Jackson to reach the basket and extend a Timberwolves run in the third quarter — only to have Minnesota’s momentum halted by a technical foul on the 22-year-old.

Edwards stared at Jackson after the bucket, but that seemed to be the extent of it. He didn’t seem to say anything to Jackson, and it wasn’t even clear if Jackson was looking directly at Edwards at the time. The look lasted about three seconds as Edwards began walking back to the other side of the floor in the opening match of the second round.

The former No. 1 pick couldn’t believe the call and held out his hands in shock. A 9-1 run had just turned a small Timberwolves deficit into a five-point road lead. The call didn’t bring the lead back to the Nuggets, but it at least temporarily derailed the momentum Minnesota was building.

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TNT analyst Jamal Crawford was quick to call out the officials, saying, “You can’t celebrate someone for being a dog and then give them a staring technique.” His fellow analyst Reggie Miller was also stunned.

The call raised questions about what kind of emotion is acceptable in a playoff game between two hopeful champions. Edwards certainly didn’t believe he deserved the technique, and neither did most of the NBA community.

The TNT broadcast openly wondered why Jamal Murray wasn’t assessed for a similar taunting call after a sequence later in the game, when the Nuggets guard pointed his finger guns at Karl-Anthony Towns.

Edwards was right at the technical foul limit in the regular season with 15, one away from a suspension. But players get a clean slate in the playoffs and must collect seven to earn a one-match suspension.