Anthony Edwards headed for the locker room and an early shower in the midst of the Timberwolves' 126-102 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on New Year's Eve. The Timberwolves, who never held a lead and at one point trailed the Hawks by as many as 34 points, waved the white flag halfway through the fourth quarter when coach Chris Finch, after calling a timeout, subbed out all five starters with 7:52 remaining in the game and Minnesota down by 29 points. Evidently, Finch's informal surrender frustrated one of his chief lieutenants, and the Timberwolves' best player, Anthony Edwards. Moments after being substituted out of the game, the three-time All-Star threw a towel and headed not for the Timberwolves bench, but for the locker room in a surprising scene.
Anthony Edwards heads to the locker room as Chris Finch calls a timeout and subs out the remaining players from the starting lineup, as the Timberwolves go down 29 points against the Hawks, with 7:52 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter.
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) December 31, 2025
Including Edwards highlights from the… pic.twitter.com/ebzsB9ozTO
Edwards finished the contest with a team-high 30 points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in 33 minutes. He declined to speak to the media after the game.
Edwards called out by Finch after the game
Finch was understanding of Edwards's frustrations on a night when the Timberwolves didn't play its best as a collective unit. But Finch was also clear that Edwards's behavior was not acceptable.
“Obviously frustrated with the performance and rightfully so,” Finch said. “But he needs to stay out on the floor and root for his team.”
In his sixth year in the league, Edwards is averaging 29.1 points (eighth in the NBA), 5.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while shooting 39.6 percent from three-point range.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Timberwolves Coach Calls Out Anthony Edwards for Leaving Bench in Fourth Quarter .
