Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle combined for 65 points in a thrilling victory over the Kings, leading the Timberwolves to a 117-115 win in Sacramento.
With just 2.4 seconds left in the game, Edwards hit two crucial free throws after being fouled by Domantas Sabonis, sealing his 32-point performance. The Kings’ attempt to tie the game at the buzzer by Keegan Murray fell short as his 3-point shot rimmed out.
Randle was the standout for Minnesota, contributing 33 points in his second game after joining the team in a trade from New York. For Sacramento, Demar DeRozan made his debut with the Kings, scoring 26 points after being acquired in a summer trade from Chicago. Sabonis and Murray also had strong performances, with 24 and 23 points, respectively.
The Timberwolves made a successful recovery after losing to the Lakers in their season opener, managing to split their two-game trip to California. Randle showed increased aggressiveness in this game compared to his opener, where he had only 10 shots.
Sacramento continues to struggle in home season openers, suffering its sixth consecutive loss with its last win dating back to 2013 against Denver.
A key moment of the game came when Edwards and Naz Reid connected on consecutive 3-pointers, igniting an 11-0 run that turned a five-point deficit into a 105-99 lead for Minnesota in the fourth quarter.
In terms of shooting, the Timberwolves improved significantly from 3-point range, hitting 20 of 50 attempts against Sacramento after managing only 13 of 41 in their opener. This marked the highest total of 3-point attempts for Minnesota in the first two games of a season.
Next, the Timberwolves will host the Toronto Raptors in their home opener on Saturday night, while the Kings will head to Los Angeles to face the Lakers on the same day.