Anthony Edwards put up another dominant performance.
The 23-year-old inspired his team to a record-breaking 25-point comeback over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday but his night may have turned a little sour after a familiar tale in his post-game interview.
In a battle between two of the NBA‘s best players, Edwards and Shai Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, it was the Timberwolves star who would emerge victorious.
Edwards summed up his stellar performance when he blocked Gilgeous-Alexander’s go-ahead shot with 13.2 seconds left in overtime to secure his team’s 131-129 win.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s 39-point performance wasn’t enough in the end as his team capitulated in a game in which they had a 25-point lead in the third quarter.
Even with four minutes to go the Timberwolves were trailing by 16 points and yet rallied to force overtime, steal the win and make history in the process.
They are only the second team in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98) to win after trailing by at least that many points with four minutes to go.
The Timberwolves also tied a franchise record for their largest ever comeback by erasing that 25-point deficit.
Other Minnesota stars also delivered as Jaden McDaniels scored 27 points, Naz Reid had 22 points and 11 rebounds and Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 21 points.
Such a win inevitably left the likes of Edwards filled with emotion and adrenaline but he might have crossed the line in his post-game interview.
On a hot mic, standing next to McDaniels and Alexander-Walker, Edwards shouted, “Way to f—— hoop, y’all!”
Such language is not allowed by the NBA and it leaves the young star potential facing another bill from the league.
Facing fines from the league is nothing new for Edwards, so far this season he has been penalised a total of $285,000 for five different behavioural transgressions,
In November, he was fined $35,000 for making an obscene gesture on the court.
While in December, he was docked $100,000 for profanity during a live television interview and $75,000 for a profane public criticism of the officiating and $25,000 for profanity in a media interview.
Last January, he was fined $50,000 for for making obscene gestures toward a game official.
Despite the star’s $42 million annual salary, he has expressed frustration about picking up fines, before this game he promised to control his language and stop collecting bills.
“That’s my money being taken,” Edwards told reporters last month.
“I ain’t getting no more techs, I ain’t saying nothing else.”
With 23 games and a potential post-season left, there’s a lot of basketball to go for Edwards to keep his promise.
