Minnesota finishes strongly at Fiserv Forum
The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Milwaukee Bucks 116–97 at Fiserv Forum on October 5 US time, October 6 in the Philippines, using a 35-point fourth quarter to settle their preseason opener.
Minnesota led 60–48 at halftime, but Milwaukee reduced the gap to 81–76 by the end of the third quarter. The Timberwolves then outscored the Bucks 35–21 over the final 12 minutes, turning a five-point advantage into a 19-point victory.
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 14 points. Joan Beringer and Antonio Reeves each scored 12 off the bench, LaMelo Ball added 11 and Zyon Pullin finished with 10. The Timberwolves used 20 players, with none reaching 19 minutes.
The largest shooting difference came inside the arc. Minnesota made 31 of 52 two-point attempts, compared with Milwaukee’s 14 of 44. Those totals, calculated by subtracting three-point shots from overall field goals, gave the visitors a 62–28 advantage in points from two-pointers.
Milwaukee had the better return from three-point range, making 16 threes to Minnesota’s nine, but could not offset that inside scoring gap. Ryan Rollins led the Bucks with 15 points, and Kel’el Ware supplied 14 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.
Minnesota also finished with a 51–47 rebounding edge. The result offered a positive start across a wide preseason rotation, with the final quarter showing the impact of reserves after the starting groups had completed their shorter appearances.