Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch praised LaMelo Ball’s playmaking after his team opened the 2026-27 NBA season with a 131-106 road win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday. Ball scored 21 points, six assists and five three-pointers in his Timberwolves debut, while Edwards scored 45 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Finch said Ball’s ability to create opportunities benefited the entire team, not only Minnesota’s leading scorer.
“Ball was flying around,” Finch said. “It wasn’t just Ant that LaMelo was really creating great energy for, but everybody was kind of benefiting from it.”
Minnesota attempted 50 three-pointers and made 21 as the Timberwolves embraced a high-volume perimeter attack. Finch credited Rudy Gobert’s screening for creating clean looks around the perimeter. The team built a 13-point halftime lead before extending the advantage to 102-81 after three quarters, with Edwards scoring 18 points during the decisive second-half stretch.
Finch also highlighted Jonathan Kuminga’s physical defence against Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 35 points in his Miami debut. Kuminga finished with 12 points and helped make the matchup more difficult for the Heat star, meeting him high and denying easy catches near his operating area. Finch was also pleased with Kuminga’s quick offensive decisions and the rotations he could handle.
Minnesota visits the Orlando Magic on Friday, while Miami hosts the Detroit Pistons.
