LaMelo Ball Reacts to Timberwolves Debut After Huge Win vs. Heat

The Minnesota Timberwolves had a lot of momentum heading into the 2026-2027 season, and they opened the regular season with a 131-106 win over the Miami Heat. Minnesota looked dominant for much of the game, and after the game, their new point guard, LaMelo Ball, shared his excitement about the team. 

"I think we are going to be everything," Ball said. "I think we definitely help each other a lot, just the whole team... We got a lot of players on the team just going at each other."

In LaMelo Ball's first game with Minnesota, he finished with 21 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals. He did it all for the Timberwolves, and he wasn't hurried at any point in the game. 

As a team, the Timberwolves were able to consistently turn defense into offense. They finished the game with 31 points off turnovers, which was 14 more than the Heat. Another highlight of the game was Anthony Edwards' performance. 

Edwards opened the season scoring 45 points on 16-of-29 shooting from the field. The move to bring Ball to Minnesota was to take pressure off Edwards, as he had been getting a lot of attention from teams in the past. Now, the presence of LaMelo Ball opens things up for him on offense, and it could make for a career year in 2026-2027. 

Ball praised Anthony Edwards after the game, and he credited him with the different ways he can score. 

"There's so much he can do," Ball said. "Just having that in your back pocket and on your team, you got to get it going." 

Moving forward, if this duo can be this effective, teams will have a tough time containing both of them in the backcourt. One thing that makes them effective is their ability to create for themselves, even when Ball is an elite passer. 

The versatility of Minnesota is what makes this team dangerous in different aspects, and head coach Chris Finch clearly has his unit playing at a high intensity. 

LaMelo Ball praised guard Ayo Dosunmu, who has been playing defense and picking up full court in practice, and he believes the Timberwolves benefit from practicing hard against one another consistently. 

If this team can stay healthy and play with the same level of intensity for the majority of the season, they can find themselves in the mix to win the Western Conference this season.