Anthony Edwards has a vendetta this NBA season after his Minnesota Timberwolves have been bounced from the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons.
He opened the 2025-26 campaign in emphatic fashion, pouring in a league-high 41 points and seven rebounds in a 118-114 season-opening win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
Just one game into the season, Edwards has already made history with his performance on opening night.
After the game, the NBA’s official X account made a post noting that Edwards reset the record for the most points scored by a Timberwolves player in a regular-season opener, previously held by Karl-Anthony Towns with 36 points in 2019 and Kevin Garnett, who scored 34 points to open the 1999-2000 NBA season.
Read more: Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards Sends Bold Warning to NBA Before Season Opener
However, how Edwards tallied the 41 points was even more impressive as he achieved a feat no player has in NBA history.
Loading twitter content…
Edwards shot 14-for-28 from the field, which included 5 of 10 makes from three-point range. He also sank all eight of his free throws, making him the first player in NBA history to score 40 or more points while shooting 50% or better from the field, 50% or better from three and 100% from the free-throw line in a season opener, according to Timberwolves PR.
Edwards clearly came out ready to play. After taking the three-point crown a year ago, Edwards has rounded out his game by focusing on his mid-range shot. Edwards converted 5 of 7 of his mid-range attempts and kept the Trail Blazers’ defense honest, opening up more floor space late in the game.
Read more: How to Buy Minnesota Timberwolves 2025-26 Classic Edition Jerseys: Shop Officially Licensed NBA Gear
In clutch time, Edwards shot 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from three, including his fifth career go-ahead three with 90 seconds left in regulation.
With Edwards’ mid-range on its way to mastery, the 24-year-old phenom looked virtually unguardable as he embarks on his sixth NBA season and has MVP aspirations.
Time will tell if that’s in Edwards’ future, but Wednesday was a good start.
For more Timberwolves, NBA news and rumors, stay tuned to Newsweek Sports.