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NBA addresses Edwards’ controversial technical foul in Game 1
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets during Game 1 of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Ball Arena. Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA is reversing course on Anthony Edwards’ questionable technical foul in Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets.

During the third quarter of Saturday’s upset victory over Denver, Edwards was whistled for a technical foul by referee Courtney Kirkland. After Edwards scored a basket on Nuggets guard Reggie Jackson, he gave Jackson a brief stare … which Kirkland deemed worthy of a technical foul.

Here is the video (note that James Capers is the referee visible instead of Kirkland, who called the technical foul from off-screen).

On Sunday, the NBA righted the wrong. They announced that Edwards’ technical foul had been rescinded upon subsequent league office review.

Indeed, that was a pretty weak technical foul, especially given the emotions and the competitiveness of playoff basketball. Entertaining moments like that from Edwards, who finished with an enormous 43 points to lead his team to the stunning upset win, are exactly what give him appeal as an ascending face of the league.

The one-shot technical foul on Edwards didn’t really matter in the end since Minnesota still won by a 106-99 final score. But it was not really a banner day for the officiating as the refs also had a huge blunder during the first half of the game.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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