Heat rallies, but lets fourth-quarter lead slip away in loss to Timberwolves
The Miami Heat had already won its first two games of the season without its new leading man Jimmy Butler. So, why not a third?
The Heat (2-1) was close, but allowed a seven-point fourth-quarter lead to slip away in a 116-109 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves (3-0) on the second night of a back-to-back Sunday at Target Center.
With the score tied at 99 with 3:57 to play, the Timberwolves outscored the Heat 17-10 the rest of the way.
Forward Andrew Wiggins led Minnesota’s late comeback with 16 fourth-quarter points. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft finished with 25 points and six rebounds.
Earlier in the game, it was the Heat that rallied.
The Timberwolves led by as many as 13 points, a lead they had at the end of the first quarter. But Miami outscored Minnesota 34-19 in the second quarter to take a two-point lead into halftime and led by as many as 10 points in the third quarter.
With Butler still away from the team after the birth of his daughter, rookie guard Kendrick Nunn led the Heat’s offensive effort with a team-high 25 points. Nunn’s 67 total points to start the season is the most by a Heat player in his first three NBA games, surpassing Michael Beasley’s 51 points to begin the 2008-09 season.
Heat forward Duncan Robinson contributed a career-high 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 shooting on threes.
Heat guard Justise Winslow recorded 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Timberwolves All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns ended the night with 23 points and 11 rebounds. He entered averaging 36.5 points and 14.5 rebounds over the Timberwolves’ first two games.
Sunday’s loss completes what was still an impressive road back-to-back for the shorthanded Heat, which began with Saturday’s dramatic comeback win over the Milwaukee Bucks in overtime.
In each of the Heat’s three games this season, it has been without multiple rotation players. Along with Butler’s absence, the Heat was without forwards James Johnson (conditioning) and Derrick Jones Jr. (left groin strain). Guard Dion Waiters was also unavailable, as he’s expected to rejoin the Heat on Monday after serving his one-game suspension in Wednesday’s opener.
The Heat now returns home for Tuesday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks before hitting the road again.
This story was originally published October 27, 2019 at 9:36 PM.
