On Saturday, the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ four-game winning streak with a 102-97 win. In the post-game press conference, Anthony Edwards, who finished the game with 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists, stirred the pot by sneakily dissing Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
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Edwards was asked what was the key to slowing down the Thunder, and he responded with a backhanded compliment, saying,
“It’s hard to with the calls that Shai gets. It’s hard to shut them down. You can’t touch him any time of the game. It’s super hard to beat. That team is a good team, especially when they’re getting calls like that.”
Edwards implied that SGA gets foul calls from the referees that other players aren’t afforded. He also suggested that the Thunder superstar foul-baits referees and earns trips to the free-throw line. Edwards’ assessment may have some merit. He earned 13 free throws against the Timberwolves, more than any other player on the court.
SGA is third in the league in free throw attempts per game, with 8.9. Only Joel Embiid (11.9) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (11.4) attempt more free throws on average than the Thunder guard. While the top two do the bulk of their scoring in the paint and naturally draw more fouls, SGA’s numbers suggest that referees are looser with their whistles for the Thunder star.
However, in the three games between the Thunder and the Timberwolves this season, Edwards has earned more free throws than SGA. He’s 19/29 from the line, while the OKC guard is 24/26 in their three games against each other. This season, Edwards is averaging 6.7 free throw attempts per game, which ranks third among shooting guards behind SGA and Phoenix Suns‘ Devin Booker (7.0).
Among the five shooting guards with the most free throw attempts, Edwards’ 83.8% conversion rate is the worst. Perhaps he could focus a bit more on converting his free throw attempts than dissing his peer.
Anthony Edwards’ free throw gaffe costs Timberwolves vs. Thunder
Anthony Edwards’ poor free-throw shooting also cost the Timberwolves against the Thunder. With 3.4 seconds, Edwards was fouled beyond the arc and could’ve levelled the game at 100-100 had he converted his three free-throw attempts.
However, he missed his first two and was forced to throw the third off the backboard to allow his team an opportunity to grab a rebound and attempt a game-tying three-pointer. The Thunder’s defense secured the rebound and got the win.
Post-game, Edwards downplayed the impact of the missed free throws, saying,
“Make them, miss them. I wasn’t really disappointed. I make them or miss them, it doesn’t really matter. I missed them tonight but I’ll make them the next time.”
But Edwards was highly critical of his turnovers against the Thunder. The Timberwolves guard turned the ball over five times, while the entire OKC team recorded only eight turnovers. Edwards admitted his turnover rate is an issue. He averages 3.4 turnovers per game, which ranks seventh in the NBA. During the post-game press conference, the former first-overall pick claimed he’s already working on finding a way to limit turnovers,
“I got to look in the mirror. Because it’s me who generates most of the turnovers. You got to look in the mirror. I’m gonna figure out a way to stop turning the b***h over, I promise.”
Edwards displayed great maturity in not letting the missed free throws affect his confidence and admitting that his turnovers hurt the team. However, the unnecessary sneaky diss and the backhanded compliments aimed at SGA showcase there’s room for development.
