Bam Adebayo got fouled on his three-point attempt towards the end of the game. That much is true. The Heat though, failed during the fourth quarter by leaving the game up to the referees. Julius Randle contested the three-point attempt and did not allow Adebayo a proper landing area after his attempt. That foul, would give Adebayo three free throw attempts.
Minnesota had “balance”
The Timberwolves had seven players that scored over ten points. An awesome amount. Naz Reid pulled the Wolves forward with five straight points. The Timberwolves saved their best offense for the second half, shooting 56% from the floor.
Gobert didn’t play due to injury so Adebayo was able to score a lot. But the Wolves “stepped up” and got contributions from everyone. The fan site dunkingwithwolves.com highlighted a “fun fact” that it was the first game the Wolves won out of 39 where no player scored over 15 points.
Heat defense and shot selection failed
The game was fought, to use a Spo-ism, “in the mud.” The score was tied at 52 at the half. It was tied again at 80 at the end of the third. The climax of the game was in the last five minutes of the fourth. Specifically, the shot selection at 102-99 in the fourth with 2:39 remaining:
- Adebayo missed three-point attempt at 2:04
- Herro missed three-point attempt at 1:27
- Dunc missed three-point attempt at :54
The game was still in doubt at this point. The offense’s choice to take long shots without pressuring the defense decided the game. Adebayo’s missed foul would’ve been rendered moot. The repercussions of the Jimmy Butler trade most notable, is the lack of a player that can attack the defense late and get to the foul line.
Tonight versus Chicago
The Heat complete the week with the back half of a back-to-back against Chicago. Chicago has always played the Heat tough. The Bulls will be making the play-in tournament again as per the Bleacher Report. The teams have split their last 12 games at 6-6. The teams traded wins in the last four games.
The last game in Chicago, Matias Buzelis didn’t miss a shot and the Bulls scored 133 points. Coby White scored 44 points against Orlando in their last game. Coby White has constantly played well against the Heaters.
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