MINNEAPOLIS — Continuing a recent trend, the Timberwolves played yet another shorthanded team Monday at Target Center.
The Heat came to Minnesota to play for a second time in two nights, missing a long list of players: Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Gabe Vincent among others. On a three-game losing streak, the Heat suited up a team missing 73 points a game to face a Wolves team that was back home after winning three straight.
So why was Minnesota, in front of a very quiet crowd, down by 13 in the third quarter?
Turns out it doesn't matter.
Here's what does: The Wolves did enough to come back for a 105-101 victory. This after a spectacular third quarter in which they came back to lead by as many as nine. This after seeing that lead disappear early in the fourth.
This after center Rudy Gobert, who did not attempt a field goal all night, made four straight free throws in the closing seconds to seal the win.
Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out late after having scored 25 points. Anthony Edwards scored 18 of his 22 points in the third quarter. Jaden McDaniels scored 13 of his 18 in the second half. Jordan McLaughlin came off the bench to score 12 points, making four of five threes.
Miami? They got 21 points from Kyle Lowry, 19 from Max Strus and 17 from Bam Adebayo. That was just three of the six Heat players in double figures.
But it came down to Gobert, who hit two free throws with 1:11 left to put the Wolves up four, and two more with 9.2 seconds left to do the same.
The Wolves hit just four of their first 26 three-point attempts, but made 10 of 21 after that.
It didn't look like Miami was missing the bulk of its scoring in the first 12 minutes. Led by Adebayo's 10 points the Heat looked like a well-oiled machine, hitting 12 of its 25 shots, getting assists on nine of those 12 makes and getting 13 points off the bench while taking a 33-30 lead into the second.
It would have been worse had Towns not scored seemingly at will. He shot 5-for-6 overall and made two three-pointers while scoring 12 points in the first quarter.
Down two mid-way through the quarter McDaniels' three-point play started a quick 8-2 run capped by Jordan McLaughlin's three-pointer that put Minnesota a 22-18 lead.
Miami followed with a 7-0 run to go up five on Jamal Cain's dunk for a five-point lead. The Heat still led 33-30 entering the second quarter.
It didn't get better. The Wolves shot 6-for-22 overall and missed all 12 three-point attempts in the second quarter, during which they were out-scored 27-17. They headed into the locker room down 13 points.
It was a one-point game when Reid drove for a score with 7:37 left in the half.
Then Strus hit three three-pointers and Highsmith one in a 15-1 run over 3-plus minutes that put Miami up 54-39 on two Highsmith free throws with 4:18 left.
The Wolves managed just one field goal over the final 7-plus minutes of the half – by Towns, of course – and they trailed by 13, 60-47, at halftime.
The Wolves trailed 67-53 with just over 9 minutes left in the third quarter when the light went on. Both Edwards and McDaniels had eight points in a 21-4 run that put the Wolves up 74-71 wit 3:57 left in the quarter. After making just four of their first 26 three-pointers, the Wolves hit five straight during the run.
And it just got crazier. After Lowry hit one of two free throws to pull the Heat within two, McLaughlin hit three straight three-pointers as the Minnesota lead grew to 80-72. That lead got pushed to nine on Jaylen Nowell's three-point play with 1:11 left, but the Heat drew within 84-79 by quarter's end.
