The NBA fined Anthony Edwards $50,000 for "using profane language during a media interview," pushing the Minnesota Timberwolves star's season total in fines to more than $400,000.

Edwards hit only five of those shot attempts and scored an anemic 18 points. As a team, Minnesota shot a frigid 34.9% from the field and committed 19 turnovers, and it didn't score a single fast-break point in all of Game 1.

As opposed to his rookie teammate Jaylen Clark, who played six minutes in Minnesota's blowout loss to Oklahoma City. Clark's rookie contract this season is valued at $492,323. That's before taxes. At Edwards' fine rate, he'd be broke.

The last time an American-born player walked away with the top honor was James Harden in 2018. The run of international players winning MVP -- Gilgeous-Alexander is from Canada -- speaks to the expanding global reach of the NBA and the increased number of talent outside of the United States.

The Western Conference finals are a battle of two of the NBA’s brightest young stars. Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder routed Edwards’s Timberwolves, 114-88, in Game 1.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were only down four points at halftime of Tuesday's Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Th

The Thunder relied on their trademark depth and versatility vs. the Timberwolves and emerged with a 114-88 win in Game 1 of the Western finals.