NBA punishes Timberwolves All-Star for postgame actions

The league has fined Timberwolves All-Star guard Anthony Edwards $50K for his use of “profane language” during a postgame interview, the NBA announced in a press statement.

Edwards uttered the offending language after Minnesota fell in a 114-88 Game 1 blowout road loss against the Thunder on Tuesday, via Underdog NBA. He and three-time All-Star Timberwolves power forward Julius Randle were fielding reporters’ questions in a tandem appearance.

After a competitive first quarter-and-a-half, Oklahoma City clamped down defensively and started heating up on the other end in the second half.

Edwards, 23, had a fairly modest-for-him scoring night in Game 1, while being deftly covered by a flurry of Thunder wings. He scored just 18 points on 5-of-13 shooting from the field, plus 5-of-7 shooting from the foul line. Edwards also notched nine rebounds, three assists (against four turnovers) and a block. Most damning, however, was the -23 plus-minus he incurred during his 37 minutes on the hardwood.

So far in the playoffs, the 6-foot-4 pro has been averaging 25.7 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.4 SPG and 0.8 BPG, while leading his Timberwolves to their second straight Western Conference Finals appearance. The former No. 1 pick out of Georgia has been an electric two-way presence for his squad during his five seasons in the league, helping return Minnesota to consistent postseason relevance for the first time in a generation.