Anthony Edwards fined again - $50K for obscene gesture that brings season punishment total to $285K

NEW YORK:

Anthony Edwards has yet another bill to pay to the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Minnesota Timberwolves star has been fined $50,000 for making obscene gestures towards a game official.

The league announced the punishment yesterday before Minnesota played at Washington, citing his conduct with 1:26 left in the third quarter of the 127-125 loss to Memphis on Saturday.

Edwards, a two-time All-Star in his fifth season, had been subbed out with 2:25 remaining in the period. He received his NBA-leading ninth technical foul of the season while on the bench.

Edwards has been penalised a total of $285,000 by the league this season for five different behavioural transgressions, mostly for language. During December, he was docked $100,000 for profanity during a live television interview, $75,000 for a profane public criticism of the officiating and $25,000 for profanity in a media interview. In November, he was fined $35,000 for making an obscene gesture on the court.

BULLS UPDATE ON CRAIG

Chicago Bulls forward Torrey Craig has a sprained right ankle and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

The 34-year-old Craig hasn't played since scoring a season-high 18 points in a 115-108 victory at Charlotte on December 30. He has appeared in just nine games in his second season with Chicago, averaging 6.9 points and 2.8 rebounds.

The team provided an update on Craig yesterday.

Chicago are 18-21 after losing 124-119 to Sacramento on Sunday. They host New Orleans tonight.

Craig made his NBA debut with Denver in 2017. He has career averages of 6.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in 441 career games, also playing for Milwaukee, Phoenix and Indiana.

SUNS WIN

Devin Booker scored 30 points, Kevin Durant added 27 and the Phoenix Suns rallied in the final minutes to beat the Charlotte Hornets 120-113 on Sunday night.

The Suns have won three straight and four of five. Charlotte have lost 10 of 11.

The Hornets - who were trying to beat the Suns for the second time in a week - pushed to a 98-93 lead after the third quarter and led for much of the fourth. Durant hit a stepback jumper to give the Suns a 111-110 advantage with just over three minutes left.

Durant found rookie Oso Ighodaro for a dunk to take a 115-113 lead. Royce O'Neale hit a three-pointer for an 118-113 advantage with 41.5 seconds left.

Charlotte hadn't played since Tuesday night when they beat the Suns 115-104 at home. The Hornets were supposed to play the Lakers on Thursday and the Clippers on Saturday, but those games were postponed because of the wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 25 points. Mark Williams added a season-high 24 points and 16 rebounds, including 22 points and 13 rebounds in the first half.

The Hornets are at Utah on Wednesday night, while the Suns will play at Atlanta tonight.

COLLIER SEALS OT VICTORY

Isaiah Collier drove for the go-ahead layup with two seconds left to lift the Utah Jazz to a 112-111 overtime victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Collier finished with a career-high 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Collin Sexton added 21 points to lead the Jazz, snapping a three-game losing streak. Svi Mykhailiuk and Brice Sensabaugh chipped in 16 points apiece.

Evbuomwan led Brooklyn with 22 points and Ziaire Williams added 19. Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton each tallied 14 points. Simmons added nine assists and Claxton collected 12 rebounds.

Brooklyn dropped their fifth straight game.