Jan 8, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) works around Minnesota Timberwolves guard Bones Hyland (8) in the second quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Cleveland Cavaliers new rotation fails against Minnesota Timberwolves

Originally posted on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI
By John Hobbs | Last updated Jan 9, 2026 9:37 AM ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers went with their 21st lineup of the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves; a bizarre choice – and it didn’t pay off.

As a result, the Cavs dropped the first leg of their series with the Timberwolves 131-122 on Thursday night, with the return game coming up in Cleveland on Saturday. A torrid opening six minutes, where the Cavs were down nine and looking lost on offense, to being thoroughly outplayed and outclassed in the third, with the same starters their downfall.

There were positive spurts for the Cavs in the latter stages of the second quarter and in the fourth, with Cleveland getting it down to as little as four points, but the damage was done in the third, and Minnesota still seemed comfortable.

In what has been an inconsistent season for the Cavaliers, in truth, one thing has stood out, and that is they’ve relied on strong finishes to get them over the line, no matter what. It might work against teams like a weakened Denver side or Indiana, but not against a red-hot Minnesota.

And coach Kenny Atkinson’s decision to insert 6’1” guard Craig Porter Jr. in the starting five alongside the core four against arguably the biggest starting lineup in the NBA was always going to spell doom, regardless of how confident they felt going into the fourth.

That starting five – the 21st starting lineup - of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Porter Jr., were outscored by 19 points in nine minutes of action.

Mitchell had 30 points and eight assists to lead the Cavaliers, with Sam Merrill scoring 11 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, including a three-pointer with 2:56 left for Cleveland that cut the deficit to four late on.

The Timberwolves were led by Julius Randle’s 28 points, 11 boards and eight assists, as they are now 15-5 since Thanksgiving, the best record in the NBA over that span.

They started the game on a 17-5 run and finished with season highs in field goal shooting (51-for-89, 57 percent) and three-point shooting (20-for-38, 53 percent).

Anthony Edwards, a doubt for the game with a right foot problem, was a late addition to the team and added 25 points, showing no real issues with his injury.

Edwards became the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career points, following LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

Edwards, who is 24 years and 156 days old, achieved the milestone with a fadeaway jumper in the fourth quarter. Only seven players have ever hit the five-digit mark before 25.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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