The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder are going at it in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night, and emotions are running high on both sides.
The series is already getting chippy, and the superstars on each side are not immune to it. During the first quarter, Wolves star Anthony Edwards picked up a technical foul for throwing a ball at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Anthony Edwards got hit with a technical foul for tossing the ball at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 😬pic.twitter.com/uHetV3iQur
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 21, 2025
Edwards has been upset with the officiating early in this game, as Oklahoma City has consistently gotten to the free throw line to combat an early Minnesota run and get back in the game. On the other end, Edwards feels like he should be getting more chances to get some freebies at the charity stripe.
Article Continues BelowEdwards will now be walking a tightrope for the rest of the game, as another technical would lead to him being ejected for the rest of the night. Obviously, Minnesota cannot afford to have its best player out of the game, so Edwards needs to be smart if he wants to help his team steal Game 1.
However, Edwards is an emotional player and loves to talk a little trash to the other team. He led the NBA in technical fouls during the regular season and was nearly suspended for a game at the end of the regular season, so it's clearly in his DNA to get a little testy.
On the other hand, the Timberwolves are clearly hoping that the whistle starts to even out a bit as Game 1 and the rest of this series continues to progress. The Thunder are hard enough to guard already, and that problem gets even bigger if they're getting to the free throw line on a consistent basis.
Edwards is a smart player and should be able to control his emotions for the rest of the game. If he picks up another technical, it will surely be a controversial topic around the league.