Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, including five in overtime, as the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied from a 15-point deficit to beat the previously unbeaten Minnesota Timberwolves 127-125 on Monday night, October 26, 2026, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The Cavaliers Timberwolves 127-125 overtime thriller ended Minnesota's perfect start and gave Cleveland its second win of the young NBA season.
Mitchell's 19-foot fadeaway jumper with 48 seconds left in overtime put Cleveland ahead for good, after Anthony Edwards had tied the game at 121 with a three-pointer. James Harden then sank two free throws with 13 seconds remaining to stretch the lead to 125-122, and Peyton Watson's two foul shots with 3.9 seconds left sealed it before Edwards' buzzer-beating three set the final score.
Minnesota controlled much of the night. The Timberwolves, who had won their first three games, built a 15-point lead in the first half behind Edwards, who had only been cleared to play late after being listed as questionable with a right knee injury. Edwards opened with 11 points in the first quarter and kept attacking, finishing 19 of 33 from the floor, though only 5 of 15 from three-point range.
Cleveland refused to go away. A 12-0 run, featuring eight points from Harden, dragged the Cavaliers back into the contest, and they pulled level in the third quarter. Minnesota pushed back ahead by seven in the fourth, but Cleveland answered again. Harden's driving floater from the left corner with 10.4 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 113, and after Edwards' layup attempt was blocked in the closing seconds, the game went to overtime.
Overtime was just as tense. Edwards tied it at 121 with a three-pointer so close to the line that a video replay was required to confirm it. Mitchell responded with his fadeaway, Harden added two free throws, and Minnesota's last real chance slipped away in the final seconds. Sam Merrill fouled LaMelo Ball with 9.2 seconds left, but Ball missed both free throws. Edwards grabbed the rebound and missed a wide-open three from the top of the key, Watson converted both of his foul shots, and Edwards' final three at the buzzer only trimmed the margin to 127-125.
The result extended Cleveland's recent dominance of this fixture at home: the Cavaliers have now won their last four home games against the Timberwolves. It also underlined how quickly the balance of the early season can shift. Minnesota arrived in Cleveland unbeaten and left with its first defeat, while Cleveland, now 2-1, banked a win that will matter when the Eastern Conference standings tighten later in the year.
Mitchell's supporting cast was decisive. Harden finished with 19 points and nine assists, Evan Mobley paired 18 points with 10 rebounds, and Thomas, the 34th overall pick in June's NBA Draft, announced himself with 16 points off the bench in his first professional game. For Minnesota, Jaden McDaniels scored 14 points before fouling out, Terrence Shannon Jr. added 14 off the bench, and Rudy Gobert collected 20 rebounds, but the Timberwolves could not protect their early advantage.
Edwards' 47 points were the most he has ever scored against Cleveland, and the seventh time in his career he has reached at least 47 in a regular-season game. That it came in defeat will sting: Minnesota had the game in its hands twice, in regulation and again in overtime, and let both slip.
The last minute of overtime told the whole story of the night. Edwards' tying three at 121-121 looked like the moment Minnesota would steal it. Mitchell's answer, a 19-foot fadeaway with 48 seconds left, was the shot of the game. Harden's free throws with 13 seconds remaining forced Minnesota to chase three points, and when Ball missed twice from the line and Edwards missed his open look, the comeback was complete.
It was a fitting finish to a game that swung relentlessly down the stretch. Fifteen lead changes and five ties in the last 21 and a half minutes meant neither team ever felt safe, and the crowd in Cleveland rode every swing. For the Cavaliers, it was the kind of early-season win that builds belief; for the Timberwolves, it was a reminder that a 15-point lead guarantees nothing in this league.
Harden, who steadied Cleveland twice at the most pressurised moments, summed up the night in plain terms. "Tough win for us, especially early in the season," he said, after adding four rebounds to his 19 points and nine assists.
He was equally honest about how the Cavaliers had started. "We made a lot of mistakes on both ends of the basketball in that first half... second half, we did a better job," Harden said. That second-half improvement was visible everywhere: sharper defence, cleaner possessions, and Mitchell and Harden taking turns to make the plays that mattered.
There was no hiding Minnesota's frustration either. Edwards had done almost everything asked of a superstar, scoring from all three levels and dragging his team back into overtime, only to see his final open three bounce away. The Timberwolves will take some comfort from how close they came on a night when their best player was a late fitness decision, but a first defeat after a perfect start still counts as a missed opportunity.
Early-season games are often dismissed, but this one carried real weight for both teams. Cleveland showed it can win a high-leverage game without everything going right, leaning on two veteran closers in Mitchell and Harden and getting a breakout contribution from a rookie. That is the formula contender teams need in April and May, and the Cavaliers have now proved it works in October.
For Minnesota, the defeat is a useful stress test. The Timberwolves' unbeaten start had been built on Edwards' brilliance and Gobert's work on the glass, and both were present again in Cleveland. What failed was game management: a 15-point lead surrendered, a seven-point fourth-quarter lead surrendered, and an overtime lead surrendered. Championship teams learn to close those games, and the Timberwolves now have a clear film session to study.
The wider picture matters too. The Western Conference race already looks crowded, and every dropped game against an Eastern Conference opponent is one Minnesota cannot win back in its own conference. Cleveland, meanwhile, has banked a statement win that could prove valuable in tiebreakers and confidence alike.
Neither team has long to dwell on it. The Timberwolves host the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, a stern test against a side that has already shown it can score in bunches this season. The Cavaliers host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, with a chance to build on this comeback and move to 3-1.
For Cleveland, the question is whether Thomas can build on a dream debut and whether the Mitchell-Harden partnership keeps producing in the clutch. For Minnesota, the question is simpler: can Edwards get the support he needs in the final minutes, and can the Timberwolves defend a lead when the pressure rises? Wednesday's games will offer the first answers.
The Cavaliers-Timberwolves thriller headlined a busy Monday slate. The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Indiana Pacers 110-102 for the first win of the Taylor Jenkins era, avoiding their first 0-4 start since 1976-77. Tyler Herro led Milwaukee with 23 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Ryan Rollins added 19, Kyle Kuzma had 17, and Kel'el Ware paired 16 points with 14 rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton posted 22 points and nine assists for Indiana, and Pascal Siakam chalked up 20 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
The Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat 113-109 as reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg returned from a one-game absence with a left shoulder injury to score 29 points and dish out 11 assists, adding six rebounds. Kyrie Irving, rested in Dallas' previous game, posted 18 points, six rebounds and six assists. Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his first triple-double for the Heat with 29 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, but Miami fell to 0-4, with Davion Mitchell adding 21 points and Bam Adebayo held to eight points and eight rebounds.
The Boston Celtics routed the Chicago Bulls 134-99 behind 28 points off the bench from Payton Pritchard, who made 7 of 10 three-pointers, while Jayson Tatum added 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Boston made 21 of 44 threes and out-rebounded Chicago 54-40. Norman Powell led the Bulls with 20 points.
The Houston Rockets stayed unbeaten with a 120-110 win over the Atlanta Hawks, led by Alperen Sengun's 29 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, with Kevin Durant adding 22 points. Jalen Johnson paced Atlanta with 21 points and nine rebounds. The Memphis Grizzlies won their fourth straight game to open the season, only the second time in franchise history, beating the Utah Jazz 110-105 as Ty Jerome scored eight of his 15 points in the final six minutes. Utah lost two starters in the first half, with Jaren Jackson Jr. injuring his right knee and Lauri Markkanen injuring his right wrist.
The Charlotte Hornets beat the Washington Wizards 110-103 as Brandon Miller scored a career-high 39 points, making 15 of 28 shots including five three-pointers, for Charlotte's first back-to-back wins of the season. Anthony Davis scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Washington, and Trae Young added 22 points and 10 assists. Golden State and Oklahoma City also won on Monday night.
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-125 in overtime on Monday night, October 26, 2026, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
Anthony Edwards scored a season-high 47 points on 19-of-33 shooting, including 5 of 15 from three-point range. It was his seventh career regular-season game with at least 47 points and his highest score against Cleveland.
Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points with seven assists, including five points in overtime and the go-ahead 19-foot fadeaway jumper with 48 seconds left.
Cleveland improved to 2-1, while Minnesota suffered its first defeat of the season and fell to 3-1.
Minnesota hosts the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, while Cleveland hosts the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
Related coverage on US News Pulse: Stephen Curry's perfect night powers the Warriors past the Nuggets, Thunder beat the Suns 125-114 to stay perfect at 4-0, and Brewers rout the Rays 10-1 in World Series Game 3.
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