NBA referees — or referees in any sport, for that matter — are supposed to remain neutral when actively officiating. But some fans were side-eye glancing at NBA referee Zach Zarba on Tuesday for his one brief interaction with Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards.
Edwards and the Timberwolves pulled off a 105-93 Game 2 win over the Phoenix Suns at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. Edwards didn’t have his best game –but he did play his butt off defensively, which appeared to earn the respect of Zarba.
NBA Referee Zach Zarba Daps Up Minnesota Timberwolves Star Anthony Edwards
The Timberwolves led the Suns 64-63 about halfway through the third quarter. Minnesota played lockdown defense to force Phoenix into a shot clock violation.
Edwards sealed the turnover by blocking Bradley Beal’s layup attempt as the shot clock expired. As Zarba prepared to award Edwards the basketball following the Suns turnover, he seemingly dapped up the Timberwolves guard. Even a few of Edwards’ teammates seemed surprised by Zarba’s gesture.
Zarba may have just been gesturing Edwards to inbound from the right spot. But it’s more fun to read into the extended arm as a sign of respect for Edwards’ leaping ability.
Edwards finished with just 15 points on 3/12 shooting from the floor. The 22-year-old made his impact on the defensive end, where he tallied three steals and a block.
Minnesota Timberwolves Wing Jaden McDaniels Blows Up In Game 2
Instead of Edwards or Towns, the Timberwolves were led in scoring by defensive specialist Jaden McDaniels. McDaniels tallied 25 points on 10/17 shooting. The scoring total was one away from his career-high regular season performance and exceeded his previous playoff high of 24.
Minnesota had six players in double figures.
Despite quiet offensive nights for both Edwards and Towns, the rest of the Timberwolves picked up the slack — and another win — to take a 2-0 series lead over the Suns.
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