It was a nightmare start for the Minnesota Timberwolves in Monday night's 128-107 defeat against the Cleveland Cavaliers. An abysmal first quarter sealed the team's fate early on and left little hope of coming back.

And even Anthony Edwards' monster 44-point performance wasn't enough to save his team from the shame.

Timberwolves' Ice-Cold Start Sets Unwanted Record

Anthony Edwards' 44 Points Not Enough As Wolves Miss 16 Anthony Edwards' 44 Points Not Enough As Wolves Miss 16
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Minnesota had it awful to start, not scoring a point for more than seven minutes. Rudy Gobert finally ended the run with a free throw, but the team still hadn't managed a point from the field until Anthony Edwards hit a three-pointer in the final minute of the first quarter. By that time, the damage was done, according to Sports Illustrated.

The Wolves began the game by becoming the first team since the 2004 Philadelphia 76ers to begin a game shooting 0-for-16 from the field. Their early mishaps led to a 30-12 deficit at the end of the first quarter, one they could not recover from.

Turnovers and Poor Execution Compounded

It was not just shooting that plagued the offense. Minnesota had five first-quarter turnovers, including two consecutive mistakes that summed up their disastrous start.

Terrence Shannon Jr. threw a bad pass to Anthony Edwards on a fast break, and Naz Reid's miscommunication with Edwards led to a backcourt violation.

Anthony Edwards Shines Despite the Loss

The Timberwolves still lost, but Edwards did what he does: He scored a game-high 44 points on 13-for-28 shooting. This marked his third straight 40-point game, making him the first Timberwolves player in franchise history to do so. He is also the first NBA player this season to record three straight 40-point outings.

However, Edwards had a night marred by problems. He had seven turnovers and was assessed his 12th technical foul of the season when he left the court at halftime. With 16 technical fouls automatically resulting in a one-game suspension, he will have to be more careful going forward.

Cavaliers' Balanced Attack Overwhelms Minnesota

While Anthony Edwards dominated the scoring for the Timberwolves, the Cavaliers had an excellent all-around offensive game where Evan Mobley led the charge for the Cavaliers with 28 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks as a huge disturbance for Minnesota's defense.

Donovan Mitchell added 23 points and eight assists, while Darius Garland added 17. A slew of other key contributors took turns to drop impressive performances for Cleveland, including Ty Jerome with 15 points off the bench, and Jarrett Allen and De'Andre Hunter both finishing with double digits with 14 and 12, respectively. Scoring near the rim defined much of Cleveland's strength since they scored 56 points in the paint.

Losses in Minnesota for Young Core

The young players of the Timberwolves, who had played well in the last few games due to injuries, were unable to make much of an impact. Terrence Shannon Jr. scored only two points, while Rob Dillingham scored 13 but committed a crucial turnover, and Luka Garza was overwhelmed by Mobley in the pick-and-roll. Jaylen Clark added four points but finished with a team-worst minus-22 plus-minus rating.

Veteran point guard Mike Conley sat for the second game in a row with a finger injury, further weakening Minnesota's backcourt.

Timberwolves Look to Rebound at Home

Minnesota will look to rebound as they return home for back-to-back games at Target Center. Their first chance comes on Wednesday night in a 7 p.m. showdown against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Wolves must regroup quickly if they hope to snap their skid and regain momentum in the Western Conference standings.

Here are the box scores of the game.