Anthony Edwards scores 45 as Timberwolves beat Heat 131-106 in Giannis Antetokounmpo's Miami debut

The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Miami Heat 131-106 at the Kaseya Center on Wednesday night (US time; tip-off 11:30pm GMT) in Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first game for Miami. Anthony Edwards scored 45 points, including nine 3-pointers, and had 10 rebounds.

Edwards, who scored 41 in last season’s opener, became the third player with at least 40 points in more than one season opener, after Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan, according to AP. He shot 16 of 29 from the field and 9 of 17 from 3-point range.

How the game turned

According to AP, Minnesota went on a 23-7 run from late in the second quarter into the third that turned a one-point lead into a 78-61 advantage, with Edwards and LaMelo Ball combining for 17 points. Miami got within eight midway through the third before the Timberwolves went on a 45-23 run, in which Edwards scored 18 and the Heat missed 11 of 12 3-point attempts.

Minnesota outscored Miami 63-24 from 3-point range and outrebounded the Heat 52-34, AP said.

Debuts in Miami and Minnesota

Antetokounmpo, who joined Miami from Milwaukee in the off-season, scored 35 points on 13-of-19 shooting, 21 of them in the first half, before fouling out. Bam Adebayo added 15. AP said Miami has now lost three season openers in a row, the third time that has happened in franchise history.

Ball scored 21 points with six assists in his first game for Minnesota after his trade from Charlotte. Jaden McDaniels scored 17, Ayo Dosunmu 16 and Jonathan Kuminga 12, and Rudy Gobert had 15 rebounds.

Attendance was 19,837. The Timberwolves visit Orlando and the Heat host Detroit on Friday (US time).

For the rest of Wednesday’s results, see our NBA round-up.