Anthony Edwards scores 45 with nine threes as Timberwolves crush Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Heat 131-106

Giannis Antetokounmpo Scored 35 in His Miami Debut, but Minnesota’s Perimeter Shooting Decided the Game

Anthony Edwards ruined the party. The Timberwolves star poured in 45 points and 10 rebounds Wednesday night. He buried nine three-pointers as Minnesota routed the Miami Heat 131-106 at Kaseya Center. A sellout crowd of 19,837 came to celebrate Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Heat debut. They left watching Edwards make history instead.

The season opener delivered two blockbuster debuts. LaMelo Ball added 21 points and six assists in his first game for Minnesota. Antetokounmpo set a Heat record for points in a debut with 35. He shot 13-of-19 but fouled out of a lopsided loss. Miami hit just 8 of 33 threes. Minnesota drained 21. The Wolves also won the glass 52-34. Afterward, a frustrated Antetokounmpo demanded more trust and effort, starting with himself.

Edwards now joins Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan as the only players with multiple 40-point season openers.

Ant-Man Makes League History While Torching the Heat

Edwards opened his seventh season like a man on a mission. He finished 16-of-29 from the floor, going 9-of-17 from deep, adding three assists, two steals and a block in roughly 33 minutes. Then he sat for the final stretch with the lead near 28.

The history arrived fast. Edwards scored 41 in last season’s opener. Wednesday’s eruption made him just the third player with multiple 40-point openers. The other two are Chamberlain and Jordan. That is rarefied air for the former No. 1 overall pick. It also cements his status as the league’s most dangerous volume scorer.

The opening quarter was a heavyweight exchange. Bam Adebayo won the tip against Rudy Gobert. Antetokounmpo went to work immediately. He scored on a reverse layup and a thunderous putback dunk. Ball answered with a long three near the midcourt logo. Edwards traded step-backs and fadeaways with Miami’s new star. Minnesota led 34-32 after one.

Miami punched back in the second. A Bobby Portis three briefly gave the Heat a 50-49 edge. That was the home crowd’s last real hope. Minnesota ripped off a 23-7 run that bridged halftime. Edwards and Ball combined for 17 points in the burst. Miami missed shots and coughed up turnovers. The scoreboard soon read 78-61.

The rout only deepened. Minnesota led 99-81 after three quarters. Edwards pushed the margin past 20 early in the fourth with another step-back three. Jaden McDaniels chipped in 17 points. Ayo Dosunmu scored 16. Jonathan Kuminga added 12. Gobert owned the paint with 15 rebounds.

Giannis Sets a Heat Record in a Losing Effort

Antetokounmpo held up his end. His 35 points are the most in a debut in franchise history. He feasted at the rim all night. The home crowd even broke into early MVP chants. Then the deficit swelled. The chants faded. A late offensive foul in transition sent him to the bench for good.

The two-time MVP arrived in a June blockbuster with Milwaukee. The Bucks sent him and Portis south. Miami paid a steep price. Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakučionis headed north. So did three first-round picks and a 2030 swap. The deal ended Antetokounmpo’s 13 seasons in Milwaukee. He left as the Bucks’ all-time leading scorer and 2021 Finals MVP.

Miami has always chased stars. Shaquille O’Neal arrived in 2004 and delivered a title two years later. LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in 2010. That trio reached four straight Finals and won two championships. Antetokounmpo was supposed to launch the next great era. Wednesday’s opener exposed what it cost to get him.

The spacing problem was glaring. The Heat shot 24.2 percent from three. Klay Thompson scored 10 in his Miami debut. Andrew Wiggins hit from deep too. It was not nearly enough. Adebayo added 15 points. Davion Mitchell posted 11 points and 10 assists. Herro’s exit left a gaping hole in perimeter creation. Erik Spoelstra admitted his defense never forced Edwards to think about anything except getting to the rim.

Minnesota’s Backcourt Gamble Pays Off Immediately

Ball looked right at home in his Minnesota debut. He scored 21 points and hit five threes. He dished six assists and swiped two steals. His deep logo three in the first quarter set the tone. Minutes later, he fed Jaden McDaniels for another three.

The Wolves paid real value to land him. Minnesota acquired Ball and Josh Green from Charlotte in a June multi-team deal. Naz Reid, the 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year, headed to the Hornets. So did a 2033 unprotected first-round pick and three pick swaps. Ball averaged about 20 points and seven assists last season. He also finally stayed healthy.

Coach Chris Finch sold the move as trading “moodiness for giddiness.” Opening night backed him up. The Edwards-Ball pairing finished a combined plus-43. The two guards drained 14 threes together. Edwards gushed afterward that he and Ball are “gonna be like best friends.”

X Focused on Edwards and the Three-Point Gap

Discussion on X centered on Edwards’ 45-point, nine-three outburst and the contrast with Antetokounmpo’s efficient but insufficient 35-point debut.

Overall sentiment was strongly positive toward Edwards and the Timberwolves’ new backcourt. Posts compared the two stars’ lines and noted that Minnesota spoiled the Heat opener. Many highlighted the historical significance of Edwards’ multiple 40-point games in season openers. Edwards had scored 41 in the prior year’s opener.

The three-point disparity drew attention: Edwards’ 9-of-17 versus Miami’s 8-of-33 as a team. Ball’s debut received supportive mentions for efficient scoring and playmaking. Several users noted the pair’s chemistry and Edwards’ “best friends” comment as a positive early sign.

Heat-related posts mixed acknowledgment of Antetokounmpo’s individual production with criticism of team shooting, secondary scoring and effort, echoing post-game comments about trust. Some noted Giannis’ strong individual start and early MVP chants from the home crowd before the deficit grew.

Giannis Takes the Blame for a Flat Heat Effort

Antetokounmpo did not hide afterward. He said the Heat must learn to trust each other. “Our effort has to be better. It starts with me,” he said. He admitted Minnesota’s hot shooting discouraged his teammates. That deflation, he said, made the night easier for the Wolves.

He also acknowledged the puzzle of defending two elite shooters at once. Staying physical is the only answer, he insisted. Adebayo pointed to Miami’s new size advantage. He wants the Heat to swarm on defense. He also warned teammates against growing bored with the offense.

The loss stings beyond one night. It marks Miami’s third straight season-opening defeat. The Heat went 43-39 last season and bowed out in the play-in, ironically courtesy of LaMelo Ball. Landing Antetokounmpo was meant to end that middling stretch. Night one showed how much work remains.

A Statement Win With a Long Season Ahead

Minnesota’s formula looked crystal clear. Relentless three-point volume stretched Miami thin. Gobert’s rebounding erased the Heat’s size edge. Finch’s group has reached recent Western Conference Finals. The front office wanted more offensive creativity to finish the job. It found plenty on opening night.

Miami faces tougher questions. Herro’s departure left the roster short on perimeter creators. The spacing around Antetokounmpo and Adebayo looked cramped all night. Spoelstra’s staff will hit the film room immediately. Shooting fixes will dominate the conversation until the threes start falling.

Neither team waits long for its next test. Minnesota travels to Orlando to keep its fast start rolling. Miami returns home to host Detroit. Antetokounmpo gets his first chance to answer his own challenge. Edwards gets another stage to prove Wednesday was no fluke.

The post Anthony Edwards scores 45 with nine threes as Timberwolves crush Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Heat 131-106 appeared first on Hip Hop Vibe.

source https://hip-hopvibe.com/news/anthony-edwards-timberwolves-heat-opener/