“What did I tell you about fouling?” - Anthony Edwards hilariously sons Karl-Anthony Towns over foul trouble
Minnesota Timberwolves stars Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns dealt with foul trouble during Tuesday's 105-100 Game 4 Western Conference finals victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Afterward, the two engaged in a humorous back-and-forth exchange, culminating with Edwards jokingly threatening to discipline his co-star.
With Minnesota trailing Dallas 3-0 and facing elimination, Edwards and Towns delivered their best performances of the series. Edwards finished with a team-high 29 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and two 3-pointers on 44.0% shooting.
Meanwhile, Towns added 25 points, five rebounds and four 3s on a blistering 69.2% shooting. That included him recording a team-best 10 fourth-quarter points to help the Timberwolves extend their lead.
However, Towns' hot shooting night was cut short after he picked up his sixth foul late in the contest. With Minnesota leading 100-92 with 1:38 remaining, he fouled Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic on a 3-point attempt.
The four-time All-Star was visibly frustrated with the call, as he attempted to put his arms straight up on the play despite moving toward Doncic. However, the Timberwolves didn't have a coach's challenge left, forcing him to sub out.
In Towns' absence, Minnesota held on for a critical five-point road victory, making his sixth foul relatively inconsequential. Nonetheless, Edwards, who racked up five fouls of his own, comically called out the star big man for fouling out in his postgame interview.
"You fouled out? What did I tell you about fouling, bro?" Edwards asked.
"What do you mean? You had five," Towns responded.
"But I didn't foul out," Edwards said. "... I'mma beat him up on the bus, y'all."
Fortunately for Edwards and Towns, the Timberwolves capitalized on their strong Game 4 showings to keep their NBA title hopes alive. Nevertheless, they head back to Minnesota trailing 3-1 with history working against them. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit in league history (0-155 all-time).
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Chris Finch raves about Karl-Anthony Towns' Game 4 performance despite foul trouble
Despite Karl-Anthony Towns fouling out of Game 4, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch raved about his aggressiveness postgame.
Towns struggled mightily through the West finals' first three contests, averaging 15.0 points per game while shooting only 27.8% and 13.6% from deep. Meanwhile, he regularly appeared indecisive on offense.
However, according to Finch, Towns' decision-making and assertiveness were much better on Tuesday.
“He got himself going by going to the hoop,” Finch said. “Played quick off the catch. Stayed confident. He didn't really look much for his 3 until the second half. He just had his feet set, he was ready, and they were huge.”
Towns finding a consistent offensive rhythm would likely go a long way toward Minnesota's chances of continuing its comeback during Thursday's Game 5 matchup.
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