Anthony Edwards is quite the firestarter in the NBA. The Minnesota Timberwolves‘ best player is also prolific at times for all the wrong reasons. And that’s why he’s also the most fined player in the NBA this season. However, it seems things may be changing on that front for Ant.

Recently, we’ve seen a wave of players and coaches fined for their statements against referees. Anthony Edwards himself paid a $75,000 fine for criticizing officials and using inappropriate language to do so. And these harsh fines imposed by Adam Silver may finally be paying off. Ant was asked about how the officiating affected the game during the Timberwolves’ loss to the Lakers tonight.

Surprisingly, Ant was unusually diplomatic about what went down tonight. “No answer,” said Ant. He then elaborated slightly, ” I don’t know what was going on out there…I don’t know, man. They, you know, they say they saw what they saw, and they called what they called. So gotta live with it,” said a tight-lipped Ant at the post-game press conference. And if you’re thinking this is an impostor, then your concerns aren’t wholly unfounded.

Tonight’s game saw a lot of fouls called against both teams. However, the officials’ calls affected Minnesota more than the Lakers. Two of their players, Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels, were at risk of fouling out pretty early in the game after receiving 5 personal fouls each. And Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid, brought in to ease the burden on those players, also ended the game with 4 each.

The Ant-Man of old would’ve raised hell post-game. After all, we’re used to Ant being loud, abrasive, and speaking without a filter. It’s the attitude that’s made him a fan favorite despite his short tenure in the league. But it’s almost as if the sword of another hefty $75,000 fine has made him think twice about what he says. Somewhere in the NBA HQ, Adam Silver must be smiling from ear to ear.

But Ant’s drastic change aside, tonight was still quite a disappointing outing for him and the Timberwolves. Their foul trouble and slow start led to the Lakers tying the series 1-1. But Ant knows what he and the T-Wolves need to do in Game 3 to advance to the next round of the Playoffs.

Anthony Edwards reveals the key element to beating the Lakers

The Lakers got off to a thunderous start in tonight’s game. Luka Doncic especially ran riot in the first quarter. It all culminated in the Lakers dropping 38 points in the first 12 minutes compared to Minnesota’s 15.  All this meant the Timberwolves spent the rest of the game playing catch-up, trying to whittle down the Lakers’ massive lead.

And Anthony Edwards believes this is exactly what his team needs to avoid in the remaining games of this series. “I mean, we just can’t let them get off to, I will say, we just can’t let them get off to a fast start. I feel like that’s the only thing with this team. They’re looking forward to coming out and jumping on you early. You know what I’m saying? And, long as I feel like as long as we hold them to not being down 18 points in the first quarter, we’ll be alright,” said Ant.

Now, based on what we saw tonight, Ant is right. Minnesota did well to try to claw their way back into the game. All other quarters except the first were competitive tonight. They even managed to bring down the Lakers’ lead to single digits. However, conceding a 22-point lead remains something that a team with hopes of making a deep playoff run can’t afford.

All in all, the T-Wolves have the ability to win this series against the Lakers. It’s their game plan that needs some work. Nonetheless, this change in Ant’s behavior will delight Minnesota. That’s because it means they have one less thing to worry about in this postseason!