Tim MacMahon, ESPN Staff Writer January 30, 2024, 1:00 a.m. ET
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- Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009
- Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks
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OKLAHOMA CITY — Anthony Edwards didn't celebrate after he penetrated the middle of the Oklahoma City Thunder's defense and delivered a wild, two-handed dunk in traffic, a crucial play in the first-place Minnesota Timberwolves' 107-101 victory in the Western on Monday night Conference at stake.
Instead, Edwards complained as the Thunder called a timeout after his basket, increasing Minnesota's lead to four points with 1:57 left. Edwards grabbed his left wrist immediately after landing, indicating he believed he had been fouled on the play. He stared at crew chief Mark Lindsay, standing a few feet away on the baseline, and threw his arms up in an animated shrug before grabbing his left wrist again.
Edwards maintained his composure as the Timberwolves clinched the win – keyed by a dominant defensive performance led by center Rudy Gobert and forward Jaden McDaniels – and made a point to repeatedly criticize the referee afterward. During his on-field postgame interview on the Timberwolves' TV broadcast, he stated, “I'm going to take the fine because the referees didn't tell us anything tonight,” and continued to press the issue in the locker room.
“The referees were bad tonight. Yes, they were terrible,” Edwards told ESPN without prompting. “We played 8 against 5.”
Edwards led the Timberwolves with 27 points, shooting 10 of 20 from the floor and 4 of 4 from the free throw line. Edwards believed he earned several more trips to the line.
“The cat got his tongue tonight so it’s all good,” Edwards said of the referees. “It’s not fair, but it’s all good.”
Oklahoma City superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 37 points, seven rebounds and eight assists to keep the Thunder in the game on a bad night for Rookie of the Year candidate Chet Holmgren , who scored in two of 9 shootings. McDaniels, a small forward, was Holmgren's primary defender, allowing Gobert to guard Josh Giddey or the Thunder's worst 3-point shooter on the floor, who would sag off his man and clog the paint.
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Gilgeous-Alexander was 15 of 16 from the line and shot one more free throws than all the Timberwolves combined.
“It's pretty difficult to guard him when that's the case, but we did a pretty good job of just mixing it up and just trying to fly around after that,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “They had a couple guys that we shot the ball really well from the 3-point line that we kind of wanted to live with, and they hurt us a little bit, but that dried up for them at the right time.”
Edwards' problems with the referee centered on several non-calls on his drives, not the whistles received by Gilgeous-Alexander, who averages the third-most free throws in the league.
“Getting to the finish line is something he does in his sleep,” Edwards said. “Yes, he is unstoppable. Nobody can protect him. He is good. He's super good. But yeah, the referees were bad tonight.”
Timberwolves power forward Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists, likened the game to a “championship match” because of the physicality and intensity. The two teams went into the game tied for first place in the West, but suffered both defeats against the last-place teams; The Timberwolves fell in San Antonio on Saturday and the Thunder were defeated in Detroit on Sunday afternoon.
It was a hard-fought, back-and-forth game for most of the fourth quarter, putting the Timberwolves in a situation that had been problematic without point guard Mike Conley, who was sidelined with hamstring soreness. Minnesota started the night 1-3 without Conley, including narrow losses to the lottery-bound Charlotte Hornets and Spurs the previous week.
The Timberwolves took the lead for good when Edwards beat the defense on a pick-and-roll with Gobert and beat McDaniels to the open corner 3 with 2:32 left. Edwards went for his emphatic dunk on the next possession.
“He was balanced,” Gobert said of Edwards. “He didn’t get the calls, but he kept his composure, trusted his teammates and made the right play I think 95% of the time, which is amazing.”
The Timberwolves sealed the victory with stifling defense, highlighted by a pass from Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams on the ensuing possession as he drove down the lane but wobbled under pressure from three-time Defensive Player of the Year Gobert.
“That’s what I live for — winning games,” said Gobert, who had 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting, 18 rebounds and a team-high plus-11 plus-minus. “That’s why I’m here and that’s what I’m very proud of on both sides. When there are only two minutes left in a game and it's a close or close game, things naturally go up – – focus, intensity. That’s what I love.”
It was a win that epitomized the type of team the Timberwolves, who boast the league's best defense, aspire to be.
“When we play with that mindset, it makes it fun and we get to see what maximizing our potential looks like,” Gobert said.
As gratifying as the victory was, Edwards chafed at what he saw as poor administration. The 22-year-old, who was a first-time All-Star last season and averaged a career-high 25.9 points and 5.3 assists, said he doesn't think he gets the same respect from the referees as other stars of the League. To vent his frustration after Monday's win, he was willing to accept a fine from the league office.
“I do not deserve it [referees’ respect] Still, it’s OK,” Edwards said. “But I think it was bad from the referees tonight. “It was terrible. We haven't received any calls as a team. I've been fouled several times and I go to the referee and say, “Hey, can you look at this?” They just shake their head. Yes. And then soon someone from his team comes and gets pushed, which is a foul.
“I just feel like it wasn't a fair game from the start tonight. That’s why I’m super happy that we won the game.”