Timberwolves 116–97 Bucks: preseason result, new-look backcourt and next game vs Pacers
Minnesota opened preseason with a 116–97 win over Milwaukee before turning to an October 7 matchup with Indiana.
Minnesota opens with a 116–97 win
NBA’s official recap lists Minnesota as 116–97 winners over Milwaukee in preseason. The result gave the Timberwolves a winning start before their October 7 game against Indiana.
NBA’s Starting 5 coverage adds useful context: LaMelo Ball had 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal and two three-pointers in 17 minutes, while Anthony Edwards scored 14 points with four rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
What stood out
The preseason value is less about the win-loss record than how new combinations look together. NBA’s own daily newsletter emphasized the quick connection between Ball and Edwards, giving the result an identifiable development angle beyond the final score.
Minnesota also received 12 points from Antonio Reeves according to the official game listing, while Milwaukee had a 14-point, 12-rebound performance from Kel’el Ware. Those numbers help explain the game without turning a preseason recap into a full box-score duplication.
Why this connects to the Pacers game
Minnesota’s next listed preseason game is against Indiana on October 7. That makes the Bucks result useful context for the next event page: the Timberwolves arrive with one preseason game already completed and a first look at the new rotation in the books.
The next matchup remains a separate canonical event page because search intent changes from result recap to schedule, time and watch utility. The two pages are cross-linked rather than merged or duplicated.
Video and next steps
NBA hosts an official game recap video for the 116–97 result. Because that destination is an NBA-hosted video rather than a separately verified embeddable YouTube player, Sports Up Next links to the official video instead of creating an unsupported iframe.
For the Indiana game, use the related event link for current schedule and official-source information. Broadcast and availability claims should follow NBA’s latest listing because preseason distribution can vary by market.
Video / highlights
The official rights-holder provides a video or recap destination for this story.
Open official video / recap ↗Related event
Timberwolves vs Pacers — October 7 preseason game
Because this was preseason, the result should not be presented as if it changes regular-season standings. Its value is evaluative rather than classificatory: Minnesota got a first competitive look at combinations involving Ball, Edwards and the rest of the rotation, while Milwaukee used the game to test its own new pieces. The next-game link therefore carries more practical value than a standings table would, and Sports Up Next keeps those two search intents separate.