NBA: Edwards drops 45 as Minnesota hit Miami hard

Anthony Edwards set the tone on Minnesota's opening night. With 45 points and ten rebounds, the guard led the Timberwolves to a comfortable win on Miami's home floor, 131–106, on Wednesday 21 October in the United States. Giannis Antetokounmpo's 35 points were not enough for the Heat to withstand the visitors' outside shooting and their dominance on the boards.

Minnesota pull clear around the break

The Wolves did not immediately shake off Miami. The first quarter ended 34–32 in their favour, with the two offences still evenly matched. Minnesota then won the second quarter 35–27 to go into the locker room with a ten-point lead, 69–59.

A 23–7 run, which began late in the first half and carried on after the interval, turned a one-point lead into a 78–61 advantage. Edwards and LaMelo Ball scored 17 of the 23 points in that surge. Miami cut the gap to eight points during the third quarter but could not sustain the pressure.

The Timberwolves won the third period 30–22 and went into the final twelve minutes ahead 99–81. They kept scoring in the last quarter, which they won 32–25, to close out the game with a 25-point lead.

Edwards and Ball stretch the defence

Edwards made 16 of his 29 shots, including nine of seventeen from beyond the arc. His volume from deep weighed heavily in a game where Minnesota scored 63 points from three-point range against 24 for Miami: the Wolves finished 21 of 50 from there, the Heat eight of thirty-three.

Ball contributed 21 points and six assists, with five three-pointers. Jaden McDaniels added 17 points and eight rebounds, while Ayo Dosunmu scored 16 points. That spread of scoring stopped Miami from focusing all their efforts on Edwards.

Kuminga active, Gobert rules the glass

Jonathan Kuminga finished with twelve points, three assists, four steals and one block. The Congolese forward thus made his mark in several areas of the game. Rudy Gobert, held to five points, pulled down fifteen rebounds. Minnesota won the team rebounding battle 52–34, a second major advantage on top of their long-range shooting.

Giannis nonetheless put up fierce offensive resistance: 35 points, six rebounds and thirteen field goals made from nineteen attempts. Bam Adebayo added fifteen points and seven rebounds. Davion Mitchell handed out eleven assists on top of his eleven points, but Miami lacked answers to keep up with the Wolves' output over the course of the game.

For this opener, Minnesota therefore combined a top-class individual performance with measurable team advantages. The Heat produced near the basket but conceded too many points from behind the arc and too many rebounds to stay in touch.

Find the score and statistics on the SNA match page.

Edwards' 45 points on NBA video