Foul-baiting in the NBA is a common occurrence these days. And Anthony Edwards gave the perfect response to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, after he apparently flopped, according to the Minnesota Timberwolves guard.
Most players do foul-baiting to trick the referees into calling a foul by provoking a defensive player into committing a foul. It often happens through exaggerated movements or contact.
Some fans and pundits scratch their heads, seeing this, and they often voice their opinions on social media. With many fans calling out Gilgeous-Alexander for his foul-baiting technique, Edwards threw the ball at him in frustration.
Anthony Edwards Leaves Fans in Splits Following Ball Throw at SGA
At the minute mark 8:07, Gilgeous-Alexander drove to the basket in a bid to score but ended up on the floor after a foul. He was lying on the floor, taking time to gather his composure, and Edwards threw the ball on SGA’s leg. It got him a technical foul, as the referees are strict on no-nonsense plays. As Edwards received the technical, SGA shot free throws.
Most people criticize Gilgeous-Alexander for flopping in games. They believe he exaggerates the contact to trick the officials into getting calls. Most fans loved what Edwards did and voiced their opinions on social media. This fan stated, “Anthony Edwards threw the ball at SGA. He’s SICK of the foul-baiting 😭😭😭” and another user commented, “Absolutely love this from Ant. Only thing he did wrong was not throw it harder.”
Anthony Edwards threw the ball at SGA
He’s SICK of the foul-baiting 😭😭😭
pic.twitter.com/ec0V3be2Hr— Hoops (@HoopMixOnly) May 21, 2025
A user let his humorous side out by commenting, “I’m with him, like bro get up. You not on no beach,” after Gilgeous-Alexander waited for his teammates to lift him. It’s a customary thing the players do, but SGA’s foul-baiting issues put him in a precarious position.
Another user commented, “It’s getting tired tbh,” after he believed SGA flopped to get the free throws. Some say it’s an art to draw fouls, but most fans question the player’s integrity towards the game. If you look at his stats, he’s drawn 280 fouls in the regular season and attempted 8.8 free throws, shooting those at 89.9%. But there are concerns regarding his foul-drawing ability.
With the MVP conversations catching fire, this user commented, “SGA whining every game for fouls bro. Only reason gonna s*** when he’s name mvp, should be Jokic. Flopping a**.” The MVP conversations have fired up following the two players’ showdown in the semifinals. This fan, though, wants Nikola Jokić to win the MVP.
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“SGA foul baiting is actually getting to the Harden level bro its so annoying to watch,” said another user, tired of his drawing fouls to shoot free throws. Similar to SGA, various fans pointed out James Harden for foul-baiting.
During the 2018-19 season, Harden drew 358 fouls and attempted 11.0 free throws per game. Some say it’s art, and some say it’s flopping, but Harden always came up with the points.
There are arguments for and against him. Therefore, Gilgeous-Alexander’s foul-baiting calls will never go away, as the Thunder took a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals.
