The Minnesota Timberwolves' first night with their new backcourt couldn't have gone better, though the star of the show was the usual suspect. Anthony Edwards scored 45 points at Kaseya Center, going 9-of-17 from three with 10 rebounds, leading the Wolves to a comfortable victory over the Miami Heat (131-106) in which they led by as much as 30.
It was also the official debut of LaMelo Ball, acquired this summer from Charlotte, who finished with 21 points and 6 assists, and Jonathan Kuminga, who added 12 points and 4 steals. Jaden McDaniels, who just extended his contract through 2030, capped off a great night with 17 points and 8 rebounds on 8-of-11 shooting.
https://youtu.be/aCZ0k-t5eIY?si=aK19bjAZt99YFnQf
A 9-0 run before halftime
The game remained close throughout most of the first half. Minnesota opened a small lead in the first quarter, Giannis closed it with a dunk (34-34) and the Heat took the lead in the second quarter (47-50) following a Bam Adebayo three-pointer. The game changed in the final minutes before halftime, when the Wolves strung together a 9-0 run, capped off with a dunk by Edwards, to head into the locker room with a ten-point advantage (69-59).
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No answer in the second half
After halftime, the game broke open in just two minutes. The Wolves pushed the lead to 17 (78-61) and never let go: the third quarter ended at 99-81 and in the fourth, the margin continued to grow to 30 points (123-93) with 4:29 remaining. The game heated up in that stretch, with a technical foul on Edwards and a flagrant foul on Giannis.
The key was the three-pointer and the rebound. Minnesota made 21 three-pointers, compared to just 8 for the Heat on 33 attempts, and converted their offensive rebounds into 20 second-chance points. Rudy Gobert, with 15 rebounds, dominated the paint without taking many shots. Miami only found answers in Giannis, who scored 35 points on 13-of-19 shooting, and Adebayo, with 15. Davion Mitchell distributed 11 assists.