Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch praised LaMelo Ball’s playmaking, Anthony Edwards’ offensive rhythm and Jonathan Kuminga’s defense after his team opened the 2026-27 NBA season with a 131-106 road win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
Ball recorded 21 points, six assists and five three-pointers in his Timberwolves debut, helping Edwards score 45 points and grab 10 rebounds. Finch said Ball’s ability to create opportunities benefited the entire team, not just 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.”
Finch noted that Minnesota generated plenty of open looks, even though some missed shots prevented the team from recording more assists early in the game. He also credited Rudy Gobert’s screening for creating opportunities around the perimeter.
“I thought Rudy did an unbelievable job screening. We got guys open just coming off screens for clean looks,” Finch said.
The Timberwolves attempted 50 three-pointers, making 21, as they embraced a high-volume perimeter attack. Finch said the team had not deliberately made increasing its three-point attempts a priority, but viewed the approach as a natural result of how it wanted to play.
“We’ve not intentionally talked about upping our three-point volume,” Finch said. “We’ve kind of had to do that generally, but we figured it would be a benefit of how we could play.”
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Finch also highlighted Kuminga’s performance against Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 35 points in his Miami debut. The Minnesota forward finished with 12 points and helped make the matchup more difficult for the Heat star through physical defense.
“He got up in him. He fought him. He didn’t give him any easy catches when he was down in and around his operating area,” Finch said. “He met him high. Kind of cut down his runway.”
Although Antetokounmpo still produced a big scoring night, Finch praised Kuminga’s willingness to keep competing possession after possession.
“You got to keep fighting,” Finch said. “Next time down, Giannis might spin off him and get a dunk. Next time down, you’re right back in the fight.”
Finch said he was also pleased with Kuminga’s quick decision-making offensively and singled out his ability to handle difficult defensive assignments.
The coach acknowledged that Minnesota’s rotations remain a work in progress, particularly when balancing minutes and finding effective matchups. He said he would continue adjusting the combinations involving Edwards and Ball as the season develops.
Minnesota built a 13-point halftime lead before extending it to 102-81 after three quarters. Edwards scored 18 points during a decisive second-half stretch as the Timberwolves pulled away.
Minnesota visits the Orlando Magic on Friday, while Miami hosts the Detroit Pistons.
