MIAMI (AP) — Anthony Edwards hit nine 3-pointers and scored 45 points to join an elite club, LaMelo Ball scored 21 in his Minnesota debut and the Timberwolves spoiled Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first game with Miami by beating the Heat 131-106 on Wednesday night.
Edwards, who scored 41 in last season’s opener at Portland, joined only Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan as players with at least 40 points in multiple openers. Chamberlain did it four times — consecutively from 1959 through 1962 — and Jordan did it in 1986, 1989 and 1995.
Jaden McDaniels scored 17, Ayo Dosunmu had 16 and Jonathan Kuminga added 12 for the Timberwolves, who won for the sixth time in their last eight season openers. Rudy Gobert grabbed 15 rebounds and Edwards had 10 for Minnesota, which outscored Miami 63-24 on 3-pointers and outrebounded the Heat 52-34.
Antetokounmpo scored 35 before fouling out of his Heat debut, 21 of those points coming in the first half. Bam Adebayo scored 15 for Miami, which has dropped three consecutive season-openers — the third time in franchise history that’s happened.
Antetokounmpo was 13 for 19 from the floor and had six rebounds. It still wasn’t anywhere near enough to keep the Heat close in the opener.
Minnesota took command with a six-minute burst that started late in the second quarter and continued early into the third. It wound up as a 23-7 run, one that turned a one-point Timberwolves lead into a 78-61 edge. Edwards and Ball combined for 17 points during that spurt, while the Heat missed six of nine shots and turned the ball over on four possessions.
Miami was within eight midway through the third quarter, before Minnesota went on a 45-23 run. Edwards had 18 in that burst, while Miami missed on 11 of 12 3-point tries.
Up next
Timberwolves: Visit Orlando on Friday.
Heat: Host Detroit on Friday.
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Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press