As the Minnesota Timberwolves battle for playoff positioning in the Western Conference, they'll have to play their important final game of the regular season without their best player.
Anthony Edwards received a technical foul in the second quarter of Minnesota's matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night at Target Center. Since it was his 18th technical foul of the season, Edwards will serve a one-game suspension—assuming the league doesn't rescind the technical.
Midway through the second quarter, official Ray Acosta handed Edwards a personal foul while the Wolves star guarded Nets guard Keon Johnson. To protest the call, Edwards held his hands out to express confusion and frustration with the foul, and that was enough to warrant a technical.
The NBA's policy is to hand out a one-game suspension for a player's 16th technical foul of the season, and then an additional one-game penalty for every two technical fouls the rest of the way. Edwards served a one-game suspension back in February for his 16th tech of the year. The Wolves lost that game to the Utah Jazz 117-116.
Afterwards, referee crew chief Bill Kennedy told reporters Edwards was given the technical foul for "use of profanity directed toward an official."
Coincidentally, Timberwolves will wrap up the regular season by hosting the Jazz at 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday. Minnesota entered Friday with a 47-33 record, tied with the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 6 playoff seed.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Anthony Edwards to Miss Timberwolves' Final Game After Latest Technical Foul.
