It wasn't enough even after Anthony Edwards scored 47 points in this Cavaliers vs Timberwolves battle. The Cleveland Cavaliers rallied back from a 10-point halftime deficit to overcome the Minnesota Timberwolves four times in overtime and end the wild session with Donovan Mitchell's go-ahead jumper and two clutch Peyton Watson free throws in Rocket Arena on Monday, 127-125. James Harden was the first to go on the attack as he went up on the glass and banked a floater in regulation to even the score at 113 with 10.4 seconds remaining in the game.
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | OT | Final |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 31 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 12 | 125 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 24 | 26 | 36 | 27 | 14 | 127 |
The rotations are still working out for both teams, and this one will really hurt Minnesota for the first half as they had such a clear advantage.
The half started in Minnesota's favor, led by Edwards, who had the home side in control, and the Timberwolves led 60-50 at the half. The third quarter was the one where Cleveland got the ball and outscored Minnesota, 36-26, to close the gap and put the score tied at 86 as the teams entered the fourth. A grab-and-go period in the back half of regulation and overtime that kept the game scoreless until Harden's tying floater, which came during a 15 lead changes and five ties span in the final 21 1/2 minutes of game combined, was a key factor in keeping both teams close from there.
Cleveland got ahead of the game early in the extra period. The Cavs pulled it off with Donovan Mitchell's fadeaway jumper with 48 seconds left and Harden followed by two free throws to give the Cavs a 125-122 lead. LaMelo Ball missed his two consecutive free throws to give Minnesota one last opportunity, which was then shut out with two makes from the line by Peyton Watson at 3.9 seconds. Edwards then struck out with a meaningless three at the buzzer, making it seem like the game was closer than it really was.
Edwards scored 47 points off of 19-of-34 shooting with 5 of 15 from three-point range as he dished out 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks and picked up 4 rebounds in 41 minutes. This is his seventh game with 47 points in a season and his second game with 40+ points since opening the season on October 21 when he scored 45 on Miami. Edwards has personally netted 92 points in just those two 40-point outings and the Minos are 1-1 in them. The score is historic, the results surrounding it are the one that is more of a main story for a young Timberwolves team.
Cleveland didn't have someone take Edwards' number, but they had five players with double-digit numbers and a rookie stand out on its own. Donovan Mitchell notched 26 points on 10 of 21 field goal attempts, Evan Mobley hauled in 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and James Harden dished out 19 points and 9 assists to kick off the extra period. Peyton Watson netted 15 points, grabbed eight boards and scored the two free throws that were necessary to secure the win, while Jarrett Allen scored 10 points on nine rebounds.
Meleek Thomas, the 34th overall pick in June's Draft, surprised people with a 16-point outing from the bench, shooting 6-of-10, including 4-of-5 from 3 point range, in 19 minutes of NBA action. The bench also added 11 points and 5 assists off the bench and a second unit that outshot Minnesota's 39-38, enough depth to be a difference-maker in a game that was won by two points, Cleveland's Jaylon Tyson leading the way.
For those who didn't spend the night in Edwards, Minnesota, part of the night was about what didn't happen. Jaden McDaniels got 14 of his points in the first 13 minutes and fouled out, while Terrence Shannon Jr. found the net to register 14 points off the bench, and Rudy Gobert grabbed 20 rebounds while shooting 0-for-9 from the field. LaMelo Ball had nine.2 seconds left in overtime and missed two of his front end of the ball opportunities, and it cost the Minnetonka high schooler his 11 points, 6 assists and 7 turnovers.
Minnesota Timberwolves — 125
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG | 3PT | FT |
| Anthony Edwards | 41 | 47 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 19-34 | 5-15 | 4-6 |
| Jaden McDaniels | 36 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6-9 | 2-3 | 0-0 |
| LaMelo Ball | 30 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 5-11 | 1-6 | 0-2 |
| Jonathan Kuminga | 35 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4-10 | 0-4 | 2-4 |
| Rudy Gobert | 35 | 5 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0-9 | 0-2 | 5-8 |
| Terrence Shannon Jr. (bench) | 23 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4-11 | 3-6 | 3-3 |
| Joan Beringer (bench) | 17 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Ayo Dosunmu (bench) | 25 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4-10 | 1-2 | 0-0 |
| Trey Lyles (bench) | 13 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| Bones Hyland (bench) | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
Team totals: 125 PTS, 54 REB, 25 AST, 7 STL, 7 BLK, 17 TO, 49-102 FG, 13-40 3PT, 14-23 FT
Cleveland Cavaliers — 127
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG | 3PT | FT |
| Donovan Mitchell | 38 | 26 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10-21 | 5-9 | 1-1 |
| James Harden | 39 | 19 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7-17 | 3-9 | 2-2 |
| Evan Mobley | 38 | 18 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6-12 | 4-5 | 2-6 |
| Peyton Watson | 37 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5-13 | 0-5 | 5-6 |
| Jarrett Allen | 27 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3-7 | 0-0 | 4-4 |
| Meleek Thomas (bench) | 19 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6-10 | 4-5 | 0-0 |
| Jaylon Tyson (bench) | 20 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5-9 | 0-4 | 1-2 |
| Sam Merrill (bench) | 30 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3-8 | 1-6 | 2-2 |
| Mario Hezonja (bench) | 14 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1-5 | 1-2 | 0-0 |
Team totals: 127 PTS, 50 REB, 30 AST, 10 STL, 9 BLK, 12 TO, 46-102 FG, 18-45 3PT, 17-23 FT
On Wednesday, Golden State comes to Minnesota, and the Hoops are hoping to get those wheels spinning quicker and get their execution right in the fourth quarter as it was not last time. The 2013 pre-season game will be against Washington the same night in Cleveland, coming off a balanced victory and promising first impression of Meleek Thomas.
A two-point overtime game that has 15 lead changes down the stretch would be about the right type for keeping both sides' near-term lines close. That was Minnesota's only extended period in play, and they have been in trouble with Edwards when he is scoring in the high 40s twice on the season. The bench production from Thomas and Tyson is one to follow on the Cleveland side, though, because if it does the Cavaliers could continue climbing to a higher point total than they did in the preseason. See how Sports OKBet's real-time NBA odds change from the next game of both teams.
It's a reminder that these games can go a long way to overtime and a missed free throw can make all the difference — which can be fun to watch, but not so fun to chase with bigger betting arguments. Avoid gambling more than you can afford to lose, and if you need to set a limit on your wagers or use a self-exclusion tool, PAGCOR's Responsible Gaming tools are available.
This was the type of game the wrong team can easily remember to feature in their highlight. The Timberwolves still were unable to overcome a string of poor free throw shooting from Gobert and a bevy of poor turnover from Ball on a historic night from Anthony Edwards as the team lost. Cleveland, on the other hand, had a perfect recipe for a young, deep team in the early going: a balanced and solid victory effort and an early showcase from its latest starter.
On October 26, 2026, Cleveland scored 127-125 in overtime at Rocket Arena.
His second 40 point game in the first week of the season, on 19-of-34 shooting, 4 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
A Donovan Mitchell fadeaway jumper with 48 seconds remaining in overtime gave the Cavs a lead that would never be taken away, and Peyton Watson's pair of free throws with 3.9 seconds to go completed the victory.
It's Wednesday, October 28, 2026, and Cleveland will face Washington while Minnesota will take on Golden State.
