For the second night in a row, officiating in the NBA dominated the headlines. Anthony Edwards scored 13 in the opening frame, including this buzzer-beater. But the fans remember and called the referees and the Minnesota Timberwolves star for their blatant fouling. It was San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama on the receiving end as the fans came in his support.
One such missed foul call appeared in the third quarter, and with just 1:15 remaining, the Wolves were trailing by 4 and had possession. Dribbling all the way from the right corner, Ant approached the paint as Spurs’ Dylan Harper heavily guarded him. Yet the Minnesota superstar attempted a bucket, which was easily swatted away by Wemby. The French phenom did so even when his arm was held behind the back by Rudy Gobert. This was not the only issue.
Then De’Aaron Fox launched a breakaway, but Victor Wembanyama was stopped in his tracks. It was not overly physical, but Anthony Edwards grabbed Wemby’s jersey, preventing him from running on transition offense. The unanimous DPOY was clearly upset about the no foul calls and went straight to the referee. Even the broadcaster pointed out the foul that the refs seemingly ignored.
“You see right here, Ant Edwards taking on Wemby, blocked the shot, and then watch this when Wemby tries to run, said WNBA legend and Hall of Famer Candace Parker. “Look at Ant with a little bat move. I’d hold him too. Wemby was upset.” The casual tone actually did not do justice to what transpired on the court. Because of issues like this, the players on court remain charged up throughout, which leads to tech and fights. The same inspired during the Nuggets series, as Nikola Jokic and Jaden McDaniels came to blows. Even tonight on Friday, we had our share of fight night.
McDaniels and Stephon Castle got into a fight involving shoving and attempted slapping while Dylan Harper was on the floor in pain. McDaniels had to be held back from Castle amid escalating tensions. This was a sign of the officials not controlling the game. And all of it was boiling over multiple calls not given to the Spurs.
Anthony Edwards and the Wolves get no support
Speaking about the foul on Wemby, a fan added, “Gobert grabs arm, Ant grabs jersey. Neither called”. To which another replied, “The officiating is dreadful.” Even in the second frame, Fox and Wemby had a give-and-go, and when the Spurs center went for the shot, Edwards’ blocking attempt caught his hand. Thankfully, the refs on the sideline called for two free throws. But the issue of Anthony Edwards being overly physical was clearly visible.
A fan wrote, “Edwards was clearly reaching and should have his 8th foul Smh”. While Ant had a breathtaking start to the game, he fizzled out in the fourth quarter. He took just 4 shots and was 1-3 from FG, and focused on passing to his teammates rather than taking the shot. His frustration was also visible while he was defending. In the final frame, he alone had 3 personal fouls to his name.
Another netizen added, “Ant man and gobert should have been foul out”. The fouls were not only against Victor Wembanyma. Spurs Castle also absorbed a lot of blows. Throughout the night, whenever he tried to drive or infiltrate the paint, there was a strong body check. Ant was again the one who caught the fans’ eyes.
“Ant with the 2 arm bar across Castle arms and doesn’t get a foul.” Fortunately for the Spurs fans, Wemby’s double-double of 32 and 14 was enough to seal the win.
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