With 10 minutes left in the third quarter, Deni Avdija barreled down the lane, buried his shoulder into Jaden McDaniels’ chest, discarded the All-Defensive wing, and converted an and one to bump the Portland Trail Blazers’ feisty single-digit lead to six.
A small play among many over the course of three and a half quarters, it was one of many that hinted at a crash course game one for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
For 4o minutes, Portland was the more physical team, more active defensively, and much cleaner from a turnover perspective (the Timberwolves would finish with 19 of them).
But the funny thing is that games are 48 minutes, and in the last eight minutes, down single digits, the Wolves showed maturity and closed out a team they were favored to beat; notably with some help from employee #5.
Anthony Edwards’ 41 points marked the most in franchise history in an opening night game. Battling back spasms and tabbed as a gametime decision heading into Wednesday night, Edwards was fantastic throughout the game and scored from all over the floor.
While the Wolves ended up pulling it out in the end, their four point margin of victory was their largest lead of the game. Portland led for what seemed to be about 95 percent of it, holding a pesky single-digit lead for a lot of the contest.
Catching the Wolves in bad position, they committed five fouls in the first eight minutes, and quick ball movement got Jaden McDaniels (two first quarter fouls) and Rudy Gobert (who ended up fouling out) in precarious positions. Clearly knocking off some early season rust, the starters specifically didn’t seem to be too ready for the physicality.
Again, 48 minutes. Good teams close out young ones in winning time; the Wolves have seen it plenty of times over the years being on the other side of it.
But sometimes, your best players don’t let you lose.
PORTLAND, OREGON – OCTOBER 22: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts after his three point basket against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on October 22, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) Getty Images
“We Have The Best Player”
Notorious rabblerouser Joe Ingles bellowed it from behind the bench to heartbroken Portland fans, strolling out with a towel around his neck after Edwards’ game-sealing middy.
At that point in time, how could you not skip around and gloat as a teammate, even just a little bit?
Before that very shot that would end up sealing the game on all-defensive wing and former Georgia Bulldogs teammate Toumani Camara, Edwards gave a similar treatment to bench flamethrower Jerami Grant to put the Wolves up with just over a minute remaining.
After a rough previous season of clutch time basketball and a failure to properly close teams out, specifically ones that the Wolves are expected to beat, Wednesday night presented an opportunity for Edwards to right the ship.
Down five points with six minutes remaining, the Wolves headed into clutchtime and assisted on their next four buckets, something not as commonplace last season in close games. Often falling into the trap of quick, one or no-pass possessions a year ago, all of Rudy Gobert, McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Edwards were involved in buckets over the last six minutes of the game, perhaps being one of the reasons that Ant wasn’t immediately trapped when calling for isolation down the stretch.
Edwards would go on to pair his record-setting 41 points with a 50 percent mark from the field, and add an active seven rebounds to his nightly line.
An excellent start, but can this continue? Consistency has been challenged upon Edwards all offseason by the coaching staff. Will this clutch time closeout become an outlier, or a rule?
PORTLAND, OREGON – OCTOBER 22: Jaylen Clark #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Shaedon Sharpe #17 of the Portland Trail Blazers dive for the ball during the first half at Moda Center on October 22, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) Getty Images
The unsung hero of the game is Jaylen Clark, without question. Struggling to match the Blazers’ defensive intensity and physicality early, Clark came into the game and provided a spark that no one else on the Wolves at that time could match. He had a poor night from the field (1-5 FG, 0-2 from 3), but it would be fair to make the argument that Jaylen Clark was the X-Factor that kept the Wolves in it from some of the plays he made on inbounds, and his ability to harass Blake Wesley and Jrue Holiday from 94 feet when it was desperately needed. I would be shocked if he was not a staple in the rotation moving forward.Bones Hyland played, and Rob Dillingham did not. Little bit of a message being sent by Chris Finch. Earlier in the week, Finch hinted that the rotation would consist of “9.5 guys” to start. With what seems like Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark’s spots solidified, it seems as though the .5 is going to be a battle between Hyland and Dillingham. Who gets more of that share will be extremely telling.Speaking of point guards, that remains an extreme concern on this roster for me. Turnovers plagued the Wolves when pressure was put on them, and when Mike Conley wasn’t on the floor, the lack of a proficient ball handler was glaring. Donte DiVincenzo didn’t do much to inspire confidence, turning the ball over six times, and having Finch opt for Hyland later in the game. Next in line behind DiVincenzo for lowest plus minus was Mike Conley (-3). Conley was fine, but again, didn’t inspire a boatload of confidence that there is a season-long answer for a point guard that can take minutes. This was the biggest storyline heading into the season, and it will continue to be during it.
The Wolves will travel south for a Friday date night with the Los Angeles Lakers. LA is coming off of an opening night thumping at home from the Golden State Warriors, and will look to get back on track against the team that gave them an early exit in the playoffs last season.