Anthony Edwards’ fate is sealed. Tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Wolves vigorous guard landed himself in major trouble. He received two technicals in just three quarters. That’s right. It possibly cost the Timberwolves the opportunity to successfully complete their comeback. But that’s not the only damage Edwards will face from his first ejection of the season.

His second technical came for mouthing direct “profanity towards the game official” according to the Pool report from the game. Crew Chief James Williams also noted that prior to awarding him the technical, the referees did consider the repercussions. Hence, throw the ball into the crowd or not, it seems Anthony Edwards is out for tomorrow’s game against the Utah Jazz.

The second technical put Edwards’ technical fouls tally for the season at 16. Not only does he lead the league in technical fouls, but the 23-year-old will automatically face a suspension due to his culminated total.

Timberwolves’ head coach Chris Flinch wasn’t satisfied with the way the situation escalated. Notably, he did voice some support for Edwards as he saw a clear violation from Gabe Vincent. “It was a block. Just call the block and nothing happens. After that, I don’t really know what was said and what was not said. Clearly, it was a block right in front of me,” Finch said about the second technical.

But having experienced the first ejection of his career only last month, Finch also knows how emotions need to be contained. And rather than focusing too much on the play itself, he called for Anthony Edwards to change.

Anthony Edwards can’t afford to lose control

It has been a frustrating season for the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. In the offseason, they traded Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. The move was supposed to catapult the roster after their strong finish last season. But the results haven’t been so flattering this year.

They sit at 32-28, currently the eighth seed. Moreover, they have also had to deal with a plethora of injuries. Julius Randle is still not fit enough for action. The emotions from that are visible in Edwards. He’s always been expressive. But this season, the young stud has landed himself in regular trouble.

Likewise, as the coach, Finch understands how vital it is to have Anthony Edwards not lose himself. So he reserved a message for the franchise cornerstone. “He’s got to be better. He’s had too many outbursts. I think a lot of them are deserved. They’re going to miss some calls from time to time for sure. We’ve been talking to him about it. It’s on him,” he told Ant-Man.

With how the season has progressed, it’s understandable that Edwards is angry at times. Being a lethal slasher, some calls do get lost in the mix. But each win matters in the West. If they had one tonight, the Wolves would have still held the seventh seed. Instead, Stephen Curry’s magical 56-point performance left that for the Golden State Warriors.

The last push this season is crucial. With only a handful of games left, the Timberwolves have a realistic chance of securing the 6th seed. But they need Anthony Edwards. If he continues on his current path, it might force them to play additional games in the Play-In. Moreover, it’s do-or-die depending on how low the franchise falls in the standings.

If they want to avoid that, Edwards surely needs to be better.