Minnesota arrived in Cleveland as one of the league’s unbeaten sides and left with a lesson in finishing. The Cavaliers clawed back from a 15-point hole on Monday night and won 127-125 in overtime, handing the Timberwolves their first loss of the season.
Donovan Mitchell supplied the decisive basket, a mid-range pull-up with 48 seconds left in the extra period. Minnesota still had a clean look to tie. Edwards got an uncontested three-point attempt in the dying seconds and failed to convert. Peyton Watson collected the rebound and sank two free throws, and Edwards’ buzzer-beating three only trimmed the margin.
It was a cruel ending to a huge night for Edwards, who poured in a season-high 47 points. Rudy Gobert hauled in 20 rebounds alongside him. Cleveland’s scoring was shared around. Mitchell finished on 26 and dished seven assists, Harden contributed 19 with nine assists, and Mobley chipped in an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double. First-year guard Meleek Thomas also impressed, scoring 16 in his very first league appearance.
Cleveland now sits at two wins and one defeat. Around the league that night, Houston kept its record spotless by beating Atlanta 120-110, Memphis opened 4-0, a feat the club had managed just once before, and Stephen Curry went 8-for-8 from the field as Golden State won in Denver for its first victory.
For the Wolves, the defeat stings mostly because of how it happened. A comfortable lead evaporated in the second half, and their star carried almost half of the scoring load on his own. Coaches usually call that a warning sign rather than a crisis this early in the season.
