The NBA's league office has rescinded the technical foul given to Anthony Edwards in the third quarter of Saturday's Game 1 win over the Denver Nuggets.
On the play in question, Edwards drove past Reggie Jackson and finished a layup before slowly backpedaling and looking in Jackson's direction. He didn't appear to say anything or make a taunting motion in Jackson's direction, however.
The decision by the referees was not a popular one on social media:
Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBSThat tech was disgraceful, man.<br><br>There is not a soul watching this game that thought "wow, I'm offended by that Anthony Edwards stare. I want the outcome of this very close playoff game to potentially hinge on a technical foul because of it."
Ian Raphael Bishop @irbishiNBA has gotten way too soft man. Anthony Edwards just stared at a guy after dropping a basket in the post and he gets a technical. Rediculous.
Tyler George @tylertgeorgeThat technical foul on Edwards might be the only thing that unites all social media this year.
Former player and TNT Sports analyst Charles Barkley was also critical of the call on Inside the NBA after the game.
"Hey, Mr. Official. Nobody came to see your ass play," he said. "Stop giving taunting technicals in the game. Nobody came to see you. You give a kid a warning. You don't call no taunting technicals in the playoffs. Don't do that."
While the call was unpopular during the game, it didn't ultimately have a major impact on the final result. Edwards went off to the tune of 43 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal in the 106-99 win. It was his second straight 40-point performance in the postseason.
NBA @NBAA career night for Anthony Edwards in Game 1 ‼️<br><br>🐺 43 PTS (playoff career high)<br>🐺 17-29 FGM<br>🐺 7 REB<br>🐺 1-0 series lead<br><br>The 2nd player 22 years old or younger to score 40+ in back-to-back playoff games (Kobe Bryant).<a href="">#NBAPlayoffs</a> presented by Google Pixel <a href="">
Beating the defending champions on their home court is no small feat, especially to open a series, but Edwards didn't seem daunted by the opponent at hand.
"We're just coming out to play. It's not about introducing us to nobody, we know what we are," he told reporters. "We're a collective group. We trust each other, we're well-coached."
For the Nuggets, however, Edwards poses a real threat.
"There's no weaknesses in his game," Denver head coach Mike Malone told reporters after the game regarding Edwards. "And it's going to be a hell of a challenge trying to slow him down."
At this point, perhaps only the officials are capable of doing that.
