Anthony Edwards had himself a game on Christmas. He dropped 44 points against the Denver Nuggets and was matching Nikola Jokic shot for shot in what was becoming an all-time holiday duel.

Then he got ejected in overtime and watched his team collapse without him.

Ant's ejection will be overshadowed by Jokic's historic 56-point triple-double, but it deserves its own spotlight. Because when you lose your cool in the biggest moments, you lose the game.

The Quick Hit

• What happened: Edwards was ejected in OT for arguing foul calls as the Nuggets pulled away
• The damage: Minnesota lost 142-138 after Edwards' departure removed their best scorer
• Why you should care: The Wolves had a real shot at winning until Ant imploded
• The stat line: 44 points on 16-of-32 shooting before the ejection

The Game Was Right There

Let's be clear about something: Minnesota was in this game. They pushed the Nuggets to overtime despite Jokic playing out of his mind. Edwards was trading buckets with the best player in basketball and holding his own.

The Wolves had every opportunity to steal a Christmas Day win in Denver. They were playing with house money against a shorthanded Nuggets team. Ant was cooking. The crowd was nervous.

And then Edwards started barking at the refs about foul calls, got a technical, and then got ejected. Just like that, Minnesota's best player was watching from the locker room while Jokic dropped 18 points in overtime to seal the game.

You Cannot Do That

There's no way to sugarcoat this: Anthony Edwards cost his team a chance at winning.

When you're the franchise player, when you're supposed to be the guy who leads Minnesota deep into the playoffs, you cannot get ejected in overtime of a Christmas Day game. You just can't. Argue after the whistle. Complain during timeouts. But getting tossed when the game is on the line? That's unacceptable.

Edwards is 23 years old and still learning how to manage his emotions in big moments. This was a painful lesson. He'll watch the fourth quarter and overtime back, see Jokic dominate while he sat helpless, and hopefully internalize what happened.

Jokic Made It Worse

Here's the thing that makes Edwards' ejection even more brutal: Jokic went absolutely nuclear after Ant left.

The Joker scored 18 of his 56 points in overtime alone, breaking Steph Curry's record for most overtime points in a game. Once Edwards was gone, Minnesota had nobody who could match Jokic's production. The Nuggets outscored the Wolves 17-13 in the extra period and turned a potential upset into a comfortable win.

Edwards' ejection didn't just remove Minnesota's best scorer. It gave Jokic the green light to feast without consequence.

The Betting Angle

Minnesota was +2 on the spread, meaning they just needed to stay within two points to cover. They lost by four.

If Edwards doesn't get ejected, maybe the Wolves cover. Maybe they win outright. Instead, Timberwolves bettors watched their ticket die because their best player couldn't keep his composure.

For prop bettors, Edwards' 44 points likely cashed his points over easily. But anyone who had him for assists or a Wolves victory got burned by the ejection.

The Bottom Line

Anthony Edwards had one of the best games of his career on Christmas Day. Forty-four points against the Nuggets in a hostile environment is impressive by any measure.

But he'll only remember the ejection. He'll remember watching from the locker room while Jokic put up 18 in overtime. He'll remember the loss.

The best players in the world don't get thrown out in crunch time. Edwards learned that lesson the hard way on Christmas.