There were concerns that Anthony Edwards wouldn’t play in the opening game for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
But he was available against the Portland Trail Blazers and made a statement with his 41 points and seven rebounds.
According to the league, his 41 points mean Edwards has passed Karl-Anthony Towns for the most points by a Timberwolves player in a regular-season opener.
He did better than Towns’ 36 points in 2019 and Kevin Garnett’s 34 points back in 1999.
With 41 points tonight, Anthony Edwards passes Karl-Anthony Towns for the most points by a @Timberwolves player in a regular-season opener.
Most points by a Wolves player in a regular-season opener:
▪️ Anthony Edwards, 41 points (Oct. 22, 2025)
▪️ Karl-Anthony Towns, 36 points… pic.twitter.com/OJ1oQeURDX
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) October 23, 2025
Four players in the starting five were in double digits, with Julius Randle producing 19 points, Jaden McDaniels putting up 18, and Rudy Gobert creating 10 points with his six rebounds.
The Blazers were looking good, too, but the Timberwolves were able to get past them and squeeze out a 118-114 win.
A strong performance from Edwards isn’t surprising, especially since he has repeatedly said he has big plans for 2025-26.
Last year, he averaged 23.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 44.7 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from the three-point line.
Edwards has said that he’s tired of his team coming up short and is taking it upon himself to get even better.
He wants to be stronger with offense, but he also wants to be a more talented and reliable leader, too.
This opening night performance from Edwards was exactly the sort of thing Minnesota wanted to start the season.
They need him to keep it up because they next face the Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, and the Lakers again.
Their schedule has a tough start, but it could be full of victories if Edwards keeps putting up monster numbers.
NEXT: Anthony Edwards Joins Elite Company With Impressive Stats