Minnesota Timberwolves guard LaMelo Ball (1) reacts toward the fans against the Miami Heat during the second quarter at Kaseya Center.
Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Chris Finch-led Minnesota Timberwolves headed to Central Florida to take on the Magic in Orlando on a day when Kendrick Perkins declared the team's Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball-led backcourt the NBA's best. Ball and Edwards both threw up a ton of bricks on the night but also showcased the razzle-dazzle that has made them must-see TV so far with Minnesota, and a possible threat to the Spurs and Thunder.
“The chemistry's real baby,” an NBA on ESPN announcer proclaimed as Ball hit a corner three before celebrating, off of a smooth pass out of a double-team by Edwards.
Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball. WHAT A PLAY 🪄 pic.twitter.com/MXyGQSCXLm
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 24, 2026
Jaden McDaniels led the Wolves in scoring headed down the stretch of the game with 15 points as his team went up by 18 points. Ball and Edwards weren't efficient on the night, but it didn't seem to matter as Finch's team bulldozed over Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and company in Orlando. Ball had shot 4-of-13 on the night and Edwards 5-22 heading into the game's final minutes. Ball, who called out his brother Lonzo recently over a hilariously missed travel call, added five points and five assists while Edwards had four points and four assists as the backcourt duo combined for 27 points.
The Wolves' defense held the Magic to 8-for-their-first-38 three-point attempts, while the Wolves 30 to 10 assist-to-turnover ratio suggested a new Showtime style Western Conference contender may be forming in Minnesota.
Ball and Edwards' gregarious personalities seem to feed off of each other, a fact not lost on their old-school coach Finch, who appears flexible enough to let them run and be themselves on the court. As the Timberwolves headed to 2-0 on the season, it was hard not to remember Perkins' words as the Ball and Edwards duo once against proved itself as one of the NBA's best, despite a small sample size.