Minnesota kicks off Ball-Edwards era by cooling off Heat

45 for 5, 21 for 1.

Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball, the Western Conference’s newest two-headed monster, began their 2026-27 NBA regular-season campaign on a high note after leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to a dominant 131-106 win over the Miami Heat on Oct. 22, 2026, at Kaseya Center in Florida.

What was expected to be a tightly contested battle turned into an offensive clinic as Edwards and Ball’s 3-point splash party spoiled Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Heat debut.

Edwards didn’t need extensive warmups on his revenge tour after torching the Heat with a double-double of 45 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Ball added 21 points, six assists, two rebounds and two steals.

As soon as the opening whistle sounded, Minnesota went to work, leaning on Ball and Edwards’ red-hot start as the duo drained four 3-pointers in just five minutes to give the Timberwolves a 22-17 lead.

No matter what defensive adjustments Miami deployed, Minnesota’s two superstars embarrassed the Heat with a series of difficult step-back treys and fancy layups.

It was reminiscent of how they dissected teams during the preseason: Ball controlled the pace with his pick-and-roll plays, while Edwards asked for clear-outs every time he went to his sweet spots, specifically the right elbow and the top of the key.

Despite Antetokounmpo’s unstoppable surge in the paint, the one-two punch always had answers and never let Miami retake the lead before the final buzzer sounded.

The Heat pulled to within two points midway through the second quarter, but Edwards’ 8-0 scoring run steered the Timberwolves to a commanding 10-point lead at halftime, 69-59.

Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra tried to catch Minnesota off guard by letting Antetokounmpo run the point, but Minnesota’s length and quick help defense contained the Heat’s corner 3-point attempts.

Ball delivered one last shooting exhibition that stretched Minnesota’s advantage to 30 points in the fourth quarter, forcing Spoelstra to wave the white flag and pull all his starters with seven minutes remaining in the game.

Backing up Edwards and Ball were Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu, who chipped in 17 and 16 points, respectively, while newly acquired forward Jonathan Kuminga impressed in his Minnesota debut with 12 points, four steals, three assists and a block.

On the other hand, Antetokounmpo didn’t disappoint his new fan base after finishing with 35 points and six rebounds, but the rest of the team, including Bam Adebayo, failed to surpass the 15-point mark.

Both teams will return to action on Oct. 24, with Minnesota taking on Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic, while the Heat aim for their first regular-season win against Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons.