Every time the Minnesota Timberwolves put together a strong stretch of games, it seems to be ruined by one or two bad performances. At the end of December, they rattled off three straight wins by beating the Thunder, Bucks, and Knicks, but followed that up with back-to-back losses, including one to the Nets.

Having two days off after their New Year's Eve loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Timberwolves opened up 2026 with a win, defeating the Miami Heat 125-115. Perhaps it's a new year, new me situation with these Timberwolves, but star guard Anthony Edwards pointed out what was key to the team's success on Saturday night.

Sometimes, the key to winning a basketball game can be effort on both ends, finding open looks, or one coach out-coaching the other. For the Timberwolves on Saturday, Edwards boiled it down to one thing.

"I think we was happy for each other today. I think that was the main key to success," Edwards said.

That wasn't all, though, as Edwards dove into the team's performance on the defensive side of the ball.

"I think us on defense is more key because you can't really control the shots [that] go in," Edwards added.

The Timberwolves held the Heat to 47% shooting from the field and didn't allow one player to beat them. Norman Powell was the only player for Miami to score more than 15 points, ending the game with 21. Even though some players were efficient, nobody was really able to take over like the Timberwolves did.

For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards (33 points), Naz Reid (29 points), and Julius Randle (23 points) all came to play, combining for 85 points. Even though the team shot just 29% from beyond the arc, they were able to be efficient on their two-point field goals, converting 74% of their shots from within the three-point line.

An incredibly efficient night and a hard one to replicate, the Timberwolves still did their part on the defensive end to give themselves a chance to win.

The Timberwolves can continue to start 2026 off right as they face the Washington Wizards on Sunday, before returning home to Minnesota to welcome the Heat. If the Timberwolves can play true to their defensive identity and get production from their stars on the offensive end, they can start to look like the contender they've been the past two seasons.