Minnesota Timberwolves First Basket Stats 2025-26: Who Scores First
Anthony Edwards scored the Timberwolves’ first basket more than anyone in 2025-26: 23 times in 68 starts, or 34% of the games they started. Julius Randle was next with 20. The Timberwolves made the game’s first field goal in 56% of their 94 games and won 53% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2025-26 game (1,225 regular season, 85 playoffs, 6 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Timberwolves in 2025-26
First basket for team is the first field goal by any MIN player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for MIN | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Edwards | 68 | 23 | 34% | 15 | 22% |
| Julius Randle | 91 | 20 | 22% | 11 | 12% |
| Donte DiVincenzo | 86 | 18 | 21% | 9 | 10% |
| Rudy Gobert | 88 | 17 | 19% | 7 | 8% |
| Jaden McDaniels | 85 | 13 | 15% | 9 | 11% |
| Bones Hyland | 3 | 2 | 67% | 1 | 33% |
| Jaylen Clark | 1 | 1 | 100% | 1 | 100% |
| Mike Conley | 20 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| Ayo Dosunmu | 13 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Timberwolves scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 94 | 53 | 56% |
| Home | 47 | 27 | 57% |
| Away | 47 | 26 | 55% |
| Regular season | 82 | 49 | 60% |
| Playoffs | 12 | 4 | 33% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rudy Gobert | 88 | 47 | 53% |
| Naz Reid | 3 | 1 | 33% |
| Joan Beringer | 3 | 2 | 67% |
| Team | 94 | 50 | 53% |
How the Timberwolves’ first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 3-pointer | 34 | 36% |
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 26 | 28% |
| Layup | 20 | 21% |
| Dunk | 14 | 15% |
2024-25
| Player | Starts | First basket for MIN | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julius Randle | 84 | 26 | 31% | 13 | 15% |
| Jaden McDaniels | 97 | 23 | 24% | 9 | 9% |
| Anthony Edwards | 94 | 16 | 17% | 10 | 11% |
| Rudy Gobert | 87 | 14 | 16% | 9 | 10% |
| Mike Conley | 79 | 11 | 14% | 5 | 6% |
| Naz Reid | 17 | 3 | 18% | 1 | 6% |
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | 10 | 2 | 20% | 1 | 10% |
| Donte DiVincenzo | 10 | 1 | 10% | 0 | 0% |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Timberwolves?
Anthony Edwards, with 23 of the Timberwolves’ first baskets in 2025-26 (34% of their 68 starts), ahead of Julius Randle with 20.
How often do the Timberwolves score first?
The Timberwolves made the first field goal in 53 of 94 games in 2025-26 (56%): 57% at home and 55% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Timberwolves?
Rudy Gobert took 88 of the Timberwolves’ 94 opening tips in 2025-26 and won 53% of them.
Is Anthony Edwards a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 34% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every NBA game; see NBA first basket picks.
Source: NBA play-by-play and box scores, 2025-26. Updated October 13, 2026. See the NBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.