Timberwolves vs Raptors: Edwards scores 26 in 116-94 home win

Key takeaways

• The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Toronto Raptors 116-94 at Target Center on Sunday, 25 October 2026, in their home opener, according to ESPN's box score.
• Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting; LaMelo Ball, in his first home game for Minnesota, added 15 points and 8 assists in 17 minutes.
• A 35-15 third quarter broke the game open after Minnesota led 55-47 at half-time.
• Scottie Barnes went 0-for-12 from the field for Toronto, while Ja'Kobe Walter (22) and RJ Barrett (20) led the Raptors.
• Both teams entered unbeaten at 2-0; the result leaves Minnesota 3-0 and hands Toronto its first loss of the season.

Timberwolves vs Raptors, a meeting of two unbeaten teams, ended in a 116-94 Minnesota win on Sunday in the home opener at Target Center. Anthony Edwards scored a game-high 26 points, and LaMelo Ball added 15 points and 8 assists.

Timberwolves vs Raptors: what happened

The game tipped off at 7 p.m. ET (23:00 UTC on 25 October) at Target Center, Minnesota's first home game of the 2026-27 NBA season, according to broadcast listings from Fubo and KFAN. Both teams arrived 2-0, and pre-game betting lines cited by Athlon Sports had Minnesota as only a 1.5-point favourite.

The margin grew quickly. Minnesota won the first quarter 32-21, according to ESPN's quarter-by-quarter line. Toronto took the second quarter 26-23 to trail 55-47 at the break, with Edwards on 16 points at half-time, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune's live coverage.

The third quarter decided it. Minnesota outscored Toronto 35-15 to lead 90-62 entering the fourth, a 28-point cushion. Toronto won the fourth quarter 32-26 against Minnesota's reserves, but the outcome was not in doubt. The game finished at about 01:40 UTC on 26 October.

Box score leaders

Source: ESPN box score, game ID 401909864, final, data as of 26 October 2026, 01:45 UTC.

Score by quarter

What we know and what we don't know yet

What we know

• Minnesota shot 43-of-77 from the field (56%) and 15-of-31 from three, and out-rebounded Toronto 48-34, according to ESPN's team totals. Gobert's 13 rebounds led the game.
• Minnesota's ball security was the one blemish: the Timberwolves committed 22 turnovers, compared with 15 for Toronto, according to ESPN.
• Toronto shot 35-of-90 overall and 10-of-37 from three-point range. Barnes, who entered the night averaging 25.5 points per game according to CBS Sports' preview, missed all 12 of his shots.
• Kawhi Leonard is listed on Toronto's box score but did not enter the game, according to ESPN.
• Pre-game injury reports cited by Yahoo Sports and Fubo listed Minnesota guard Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) and Toronto centre Nate Bittle (foot) as out.

What we don't know yet

• The reason Leonard did not play has not been confirmed in the sources reviewed.
• Post-game comments from Timberwolves coach Chris Finch, the Raptors' coaching staff and the players were not yet published at the time of writing.

Background: LaMelo Ball's first home game in Minnesota

Sunday was the Target Center debut for Ball, whom Minnesota acquired from the Charlotte Hornets in a four-team trade announced in late June 2026. According to NBA.com, the Timberwolves sent Naz Reid, a 2033 first-round pick, three future first-round pick swaps and three second-round picks to Charlotte for Ball and Josh Green, while Julius Randle went to the Brooklyn Nets in the same deal. Eurohoops and the Associated Press also reported the trade's terms.

The move paired LaMelo Ball, a former No. 3 overall pick, with Anthony Edwards in the Timberwolves backcourt. Through two road wins, Edwards had averaged 30 points and Ball 16.5, according to CBS Sports' preview.

Minnesota also won both meetings with Toronto last season: 128-126 in Toronto on 4 February and 115-107 in Minneapolis on 5 March, according to ESPN.

What it means

For Minnesota, a 3-0 start with a 22-point home win over another unbeaten team is an encouraging early result for the new Edwards-Ball backcourt, though it is only three games into an 82-game season. Ball produced 15 points and 8 assists in only 17 minutes, and the team finished with 26 assists. The turnover count is the obvious item for Finch's staff to clean up.

For Toronto, the loss ends a 2-0 start. The Raptors' offence struggled with Barnes held scoreless, and a 10-of-37 three-point night left little margin against a Minnesota side shooting 56% from the field. The search interest is global: "timberwolves vs raptors" was trending on Google in the US, UK, India, Singapore, the Philippines and France on Sunday night, according to Google Trends.