Timberwolves Lose First Game of Season off Stellar Cavs Rookie Performance

The Minnesota Timberwolves were finally knocked off in their first defeat of the 2026-2027 season against the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime, 127-125. 

This was a game in which Timberwolves star player Anthony Edwards had an impressive 47 points on the night, but it wasn’t enough to pull away with the win in the end. 

The Timberwolves led by as many as 15 in the second quarter, but that margin quickly closed as the Cavaliers went on a run to put themselves back in it.  

Late in the game, the Cavaliers needed a spark from one of their players, and they turned to rookie guard Meleek Thomas; he gave them exactly what they needed. 

Thomas finished the game with 16 points in his NBA debut, and his energy was what really lifted the Cavaliers to a win.  

After the game, Thomas spoke to the media, and he was really confident about his level of play in this game. 

“You can’t really keep a star in the closet for too long,” Thomas said postgame. 

As for the Timberwolves, other than Anthony Edwards, this starting lineup was kept in check throughout the entire game. One of the biggest differences in this one was the struggles of Rudy Gobert.  

Gobert finished the game shooting 0-for-9 from the field, and he was part of a quiet scoring effort from the rest of the starters. 

LaMelo Ball finished with 11 points and 6 assists, but the Cavaliers' pressure on the perimeter got to him, forcing 7 turnovers in this game. 

The Timberwolves simply have to hope now that this is just a bump in the road for them. Through their first three games, they looked like one of the best teams in the NBA, and things seemed to click for them on offense. 

They had a convincing start to this game, but not being able to close it out, especially when the star player had 47, is a bit of a concern. 

The encouraging factor for Minnesota is the overall play from Anthony Edwards up to this point. He’s averaging 28.7 points per game now and looks to be having a career year. 

If he can get more production out of his teammates moving forward, they will be in a good position to win more games. Even when the Timberwolves’ starting lineup struggled, they managed to take it to overtime on the road. 

Minnesota’s next game is against the Golden State Warriors, a team that is struggling in multiple areas at the start of the season.