Anthony Edwards played hero ball on Christmas Day, dropping 44 points and forcing overtime with a clutch three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left in regulation. But he never got to finish the job, and he thinks his change got snatched.
The Minnesota Timberwolves star was ejected with 20.5 seconds remaining in OT after picking up two quick technical fouls. So, his mesmerizing Christmas run ended in frustration. However, he made sure everyone got to know about his feelings before leaving the court following the ejection.
Anthony Edwards Blasts Refs After Double Tech Ejection in Nuggets OT Thriller
The showdown between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets lived up to the hype. The crowd at Ball Arena saw both franchise players trade haymakers all night in a game that was filled with absolute playoff drama. Edwards and Nikola Jokic went toe-to-toe in the classic Thursday Night Christmas show.
The three-time All-Star shot 14-of-25 from the field and became a three-point master on the night, connecting on a total of five triples.
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But fans would remember his last-second three-pointer before pushing the match to OT. With the Wolves down 120-117 and time expiring, Edwards buried a classic three over Christian Braun. The shot sent the home crowd into absolute stun mode.
Minnesota then started OT on fire. But then Jokic and Jamal Murray duo absolutely shredded the Wolves’ defense.
Anthony Edwards had a message for the refs after he was ejected in OT
“All three of y’all. 1, 2, 3. All y’all hoes”pic.twitter.com/wc6HmwVmNL
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) December 26, 2025
Jokic finished with a historic 56-point, 16-rebound, 15-assist triple-double. He set an NBA record with 18 points in overtime alone. While stopping his menacing OT show, Wolves tried to force him to turnover, but Donte DiVincenzo got whistled for a foul, and Edwards completely lost it.
He then grabbed Jokic’s hands as the Serbian center got ready to shoot free throws. His rough play, however, didn’t go unnoticed by the officials. They immediately ejected Edwards after calling the second foul.
That’s when the courtside mic picked up his parting message. He pointed at all three officials and said, “All three of y’all. 1, 2, 3. All y’all h***.” The courtside camera caught him letting the refs have it.
The loss dropped Minnesota to 20-11. Unfortunately, the hard-fought Christmas classic left Edwards questionable for Saturday’s game against Brooklyn Nets due to right shoulder soreness.
Fans React to Anthony Edwards’ Christmas Day Ejection and Overtime Officiating
Social media erupted after Edwards’ ejection. Wolves fans defended their star while questioning the officiating in the extra period.
“People agreeing with the refs clearly didn’t watch the game…The second was actually pure retardium. It’s ok tho I’d rather my star play ethical ball than be an overweight crybaby,” one fan wrote.
Another fan added, “Hes not wrong. NBA refs are so corrupt and make the games unwatchable.”
The third claimed, “The ones bad mouthing Ant obviously didn’t watch that game last night. OT was a joke. They should’ve just played pitty pat and give Denver the win.”
A fourth shared, “Hands down My fav player.”
The fifth added, “He knows the refs are part of the rigging.”
The debate centers on whether the second technical was justified. Edwards’ first tech for the delay-of-game seemed valid to the majority, but ejecting him for grabbing Jokic’s hands felt too much to many observers. And in the process, the Edwards-Jokic rivalry continues to produce must-watch basketball.
