The Timberwolves lost superstar Anthony Edwards for the night very early on, but the rest of the roster did just enough to hold off a shorthanded-yet-tenacious Indiana Pacers team in Sunday’s home opener at Target Center. The 114-110 win marked the tenth consecutive victory for the Wolves in home openers, dating back to 2016.
Edwards left the game after scoring five points in three minutes and was quickly ruled out for the night with right hamstring tightness, putting his availability for Monday’s game against the Nuggets — and perhaps additional games beyond that — into question. He came into the night having averaged 36 points per game in the Wolves’ first two contests.
Without Edwards, the Wolves needed others to step up — and they did. Julius Randle assumed the role of lead offensive option and finished with 31 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. Donte DiVincenzo scored 17 points, Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 19 rebounds, and Naz Reid had 16 points and 10 boards off the bench. Pascal Siakam’s excellent game — 33 points, 10 boards, 8 assists — wasn’t quite enough for the Pacers, who hung around until the very end.
Here are three quick takeaways as the Wolves moved to 2-1 on the season.
The first thing that stood out about Sunday’s game had nothing to do with the basketball being played. Before we get into that, we have to talk about how beautiful everything looked. The Wolves brought back their black throwback uniforms with green tree trim this season for their first time since the 2018-19 campaign. The iconic jerseys from the Kevin Garnett era have always been fan favorites and arguably should’ve never left.
This year, to go along with the uniforms, the Wolves also have a throwback court to match. And on top of that, they invested in theater-style stage lighting (like the Knicks have at Madison Square Garden, and the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena) to add to the experience at Target Center.
Between the throwback jerseys, the throwback court, and the new lighting, everything looked spectacular at the arena on Sunday. And if you missed it, the uniforms and court will return 20 more times this season, including on Monday against the Nuggets and Wednesday against the Lakers.
It’s absolutely glorious. pic.twitter.com/qx2fKK09hU
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) October 26, 2025
The stage lighting here at Target Center completely transforms the building.
This is how all 30 NBA arenas should be. pic.twitter.com/zHeT6G2OVS
— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) October 26, 2025
It’s never ideal when your superstar best player is unavailable due to injury, but the Wolves have the luxury of having another All-NBA-caliber player they can turn to in situations like this one. Randle has made three All-Star teams and earned two All-NBA nods in his career, including a second team selection in 2020-21. He’s no stranger to being a No. 1 option.
Randle got off to a red hot start on Sunday even before Edwards’ injury. He made his first five shots, all of them jumpers from outside the paint, for 11 points in the first six minutes. Randle had 20 points at halftime and finished with 31 on the day. He was 11 of 18 from the floor and also got to the free-throw line, where he made 8 of 10 attempts.
When he’s on his game, Randle can be tough to stop as a three-level scorer with rebounding and playmaking ability. The Wolves will need to lean on him even more than usual for as long as Edwards’ hamstring keeps him off the floor.
Julius Randle isolation crossover + paint jumper pic.twitter.com/YJwyHkkaI3
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) October 27, 2025
Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
The first two games of the season didn’t go very well for Reid, the Timberwolves’ beloved sixth man who signed a five-year, $125 million contract in the offseason. He had just 6 points against Portland and 5 points against the Lakers, making a combined 4 of 13 shots. And while struggling on offense, Reid was even worse on the defensive end of the floor. He was a -15 in 23 minutes in Los Angeles. It was a rough start, although it’s worth noting that Reid has gone through a lot off the court lately.
On Sunday, the Reid that Wolves fans are used to seeing came to play when it mattered most. Reid scored seven points in the first three quarters and had nine points in the first five minutes of the fourth. He finished three times at the rim and then hit a big three from the top of the key. Reid’s shift to open the fourth was a big reason why the Pacers weren’t able to cut into the lead, even if they ended up making it close later in the quarter.
In addition to his 16 points and 10 boards, Reid also had 2 assists and 2 steals. He’s another guy whose scoring will be needed if Edwards misses further time.
Naz Reid deep catch-and-shoot 3, assisted by Julius Randle pic.twitter.com/pEdJd3lKJY
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) October 27, 2025
It was a fairly quiet night for Jaden McDaniels, who scored 11 points on 3-of-13 shooting.
The Wolves host the Nuggets at 8:30 p.m. CT on Monday. The game will be televised on Peacock.
