NBA fines Edwards $35K for lingering after ejection, tossing ball into stands; season total at $320K

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NEW YORK (AP) — Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was fined $35,000 by the NBA on Saturday for failing to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection from a recent game and throwing the ball into the stands, bringing the All-Star's season fine total to $320,000.

Edwards has been docked six different times this season by the league, mostly for profane language in postgame interviews. The latest fine for a behavioral transgression stemmed from his actions on Thursday during Minnesota's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, when he received a second technical foul to prompt the ejection. That was also his 16th technical foul of the season, which triggered an automatic one-game suspension that he served during Minnesota's loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday.

Crew chief James Williams told a pool reporter on Thursday that Edwards received his second technical for directing profanity toward an official. Edwards was upset after he felt Lakers guard Gabe Vincent should have been called for a blocking foul as Edwards tried to drive. Edwards got his first technical foul of that game after he and Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt shoved each other.

The 23-year-old Edwards vowed last month that he wouldn’t get any more technical fouls. For every two additional technical fouls, his suspension will increase by one game.

“He knows he needs to get better,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said on Thursday. “Hopefully, it’s gotten to a point where it has boiled over and he learns his lesson going forward.”

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