LaMelo Ball scores 34 as Minnesota beat Milwaukee 112-100

Minnesota beat Milwaukee 112-100 on Monday 2 November 2026 at the Target Center, in front of 16,893 spectators. LaMelo Ball carried the Wolves with 34 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in 33 minutes. The NBA night's main game, which tipped off on 3 November at 2:00 Brazzaville time, kept Milwaukee in touch for a long time before a fourth quarter that favoured Minnesota.

Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, both of Minnesota, were listed as out according to the latest injury report, though that information was still provisional. The Wolves are now 5-3 and sit 7th in the Western Conference. Milwaukee are 1-6 and 14th in the Eastern Conference. The final margin of twelve points mostly reflects Minnesota's control in the closing minutes.

A start in runs

The game quickly turned into an exchange of runs. Minnesota went on a 10-0 run to move from 0-2 to 10-2 in the first quarter. Milwaukee answered with a 9-0 run that brought them back to 15-13, before Minnesota opened up the gap again with an 8-0 run to 25-15. At the end of the first quarter, the Wolves led 29-18, already eleven points clear.

Milwaukee won back some of the lost ground in the second quarter, which they took 29-19. An 8-0 run, begun late in the first quarter, cut the Bucks' deficit to 29-24. At the break, Minnesota held only a one-point lead, 48-47. After the interval, Milwaukee extended their comeback with a 9-0 run, which began in the final seconds of the first half, to move ahead 50-48 early in the third quarter.

Third quarter opens the door, fourth shuts it

Milwaukee's biggest lead came at 50-53, with 9:38 left in the third quarter. The Bucks never led by more than three points. Minnesota immediately regained control with an 8-0 run, from 52-55 to 60-55, and then finished the third quarter in front, 80-76. The lead changed hands five times over the course of the game.

The final quarter created the gap. Minnesota won it 32-24, having already retaken the initiative. The Wolves led 91-81 with 6:40 to play, then 96-81 at 4:59, their biggest margin of the night. Milwaukee kept scoring, but never turned the tempo of the game around. The final score, 112-100, confirms a more decisive finish than the break had suggested.

Minnesota's support cast

LaMelo Ball provided the Wolves' main offensive option: 34 points on 12 of 21 shooting from the field, including 6 of 13 from three. He also finished with a plus-minus of +17, the same as Jaden McDaniels. Ayo Dosunmu filled several columns of the stat sheet with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists in 37 minutes. McDaniels added 13 points, Trey Lyles had 12 off the bench, and Rudy Gobert posted 10 points and 10 rebounds despite making just 4 of 12 free throws.

As a team, Minnesota won out in the areas that are easiest to read: 59 rebounds against 53, 11 turnovers against 17, and 14 free throws made against 9. The Wolves attempted more than twice as many free throws as Milwaukee, 26 attempts to 12. They did not convert them all, but that volume weighed on a game in which the Bucks stayed close for three quarters.

Milwaukee had answers, but not for long enough

Tyler Herro finished as the Bucks' top scorer with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 19 points and 8 rebounds. Myles Turner contributed 13 points and 5 blocks, while AJ Green scored 13 points off the bench, going 4 of 8 from three-point range. Ryan Rollins scored 10 points, and Brayden Burries grabbed 9 rebounds to go with 9 points.

Milwaukee shot heavily, making 38 of 99 from the field, and took 49 threes, making 15. The volume from outside kept the Bucks in the game in spells, but their 17 turnovers eroded their margin. Their second quarter was solid and so was the start of their third, but the final quarter swung the gap in Minnesota's favour.

Three takeaways

Ball set the offensive ceiling. His 34 points were 15 more than Minnesota's second-highest scorer, Dosunmu. With 6 threes made, he also accounted for a big share of the Wolves' shooting from outside.

Dosunmu balanced the stat sheet. His 19 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists supported Minnesota beyond the scoring. In a game where the Wolves won the rebounding battle by six, his contribution on the glass counted.

Milwaukee paid for its lost possessions. The Bucks handed out 24 assists, one more than Minnesota, but turned the ball over 17 times to 11. In a game decided in the final quarter, those given-away possessions weighed heavily.

The SNA view

This was a solid win rather than a spectacular one. Minnesota did not need a constant cushion: the Bucks had closed to within a point by the break, then briefly moved ahead early in the third quarter. But the Wolves protected the ball better, won the rebounding battle and got to the free-throw line more often. With Anthony Edwards listed as out, Ball, Dosunmu, McDaniels and Lyles each scored at least 12 points, which gave Minnesota a useful spread around their lead scorer. For Milwaukee, Turner's 5 blocks and AJ Green's 13 points did not make up for the turnovers or for the final quarter, lost 32-24.

What's next

Minnesota, 5-3 and 7th in the Western Conference, travel to Houston on 5 November at 2:30 Brazzaville time. Milwaukee, 1-6 and 14th in the Eastern Conference, play at Boston the same day at 1:30 Brazzaville time.