When Jaden McDaniels gets a head of steam on the open floor, you usually want to just get out of the way. Deni Avdija learned that the hard way on Wednesday night.

During the first quarter of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers at Target Center, the “Slim Reaper” provided a legitimate candidate for dunk of the year. The play started with Donte DiVincenzo, who has been a defensive pest all season, snagging a steal at the half-court line.

DiVincenzo didn't hesitate, immediately looking up to find a streaking McDaniels. He lobbed a perfect pass toward the rim, and McDaniels did the rest, soaring through the air to posterize a defenseless Avdija with a thunderous alley-oop finish. The home crowd in Minneapolis absolutely lost it as the Timberwolves’ defensive ace showed off his elite verticality.

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The game is still in the early stages, but McDaniels’ highlight has already set the tone for a high-energy Western Conference clash. Minnesota is looking to protect its home court, where they have been solid with an 18-10 record this season.

Anthony Edwards has already made his presence felt early, knocking down a 28-foot triple off another DiVincenzo assist to keep the momentum squarely with the Wolves.

On the other side, Avdija is trying to shake off the highlight and keep the Trail Blazers in the hunt as they look to extend their three-game winning streak. Portland has leaned heavily on rookie Donovan Clingan recently, and they’ll need his interior presence to counter Rudy Gobert if they want to escape Minneapolis with a win.

With the Timberwolves leading 61-51 going into the half, this one is shaping up to be a tight contest. Minnesota’s defense has been the story so far, but with plenty of basketball left to play, the Blazers are hanging around.