Edwards scores 45 as Timberwolves rout Heat 131-106

The Minnesota Timberwolves opened their season with a 131-106 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday, as Anthony Edwards scored 45 points and LaMelo Ball made his debut for Minnesota. The game was played at Kaseya Center in Miami. Edwards made 16 of 29 shots from the field, including nine of 17 three-pointers, and added 10 rebounds and three assists. His scoring total was the highest in the game and broke his own franchise record for points in a season opener, according to the game reports. He had scored 41 points in Minnesota’s opener the previous season. The performance also put Edwards in a rare historical group. He became the third player, after Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan, to score at least 40 points in multiple season openers. Chamberlain did it four times and Jordan three times. A separate statistical account said Edwards scored against each of the eight primary defenders Miami used, a detail not independently documented elsewhere in the reports. Ball, acquired by Minnesota in the offseason, finished his Timberwolves debut with 21 points and six assists. He and Edwards combined for 66 points. The team’s outside shooting helped widen the gap: Minnesota made 21...