Timberwolves Pull Away From Bucks, 116-97, in Preseason Opener

Minnesota got scoring from all over its roster and beat Milwaukee by 19 in a preseason game in which Kel'el Ware had the Bucks' best line.

Milwaukee kept the game polite, letting Minnesota win by 19 without any complaints Photo: Yahoo Sports.

MIN @ MIL Oct 6, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC

The Timberwolves beat the Bucks 116-97 in Milwaukee on Monday night, a preseason game that was never especially tight and ended with a 19-point gap. Minnesota's starters played short stretches, and the margin held as the reserves took over.

The scoring came from everywhere. Anthony Edwards had 14 points in 18 minutes, and Antonio Reeves scored 12 in only 12. Joan Beringer added 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench. LaMelo Ball finished with 11 points and three assists, and Zyon Pullin got to 10. Jaden McDaniels scored nine, Jonathan Kuminga eight, and Rudy Gobert pulled down seven rebounds in 17 minutes.

Milwaukee's best moments belonged to Kel'el Ware, who played a game-high 24 minutes and finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, the only double-double on either side. Ryan Rollins led the Bucks with 15 points in 14 minutes. Tyler Herro and Gary Trent Jr. each scored 11, which put three Milwaukee players in double figures besides Ware's and Rollins's totals, but the offense never found much rhythm beyond them.

The starting group in particular struggled to produce. Myles Turner had seven points and five rebounds, Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored five, and Kyle Kuzma managed one point in 20 minutes. Brayden Burries did hand out five assists, and Minnesota's Terrence Shannon Jr. and Cody Williams each had four, which fit a night when the ball moved better on one side than the other.

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