Miami Heat collapses, blows 12-point lead to Minnesota Timberwolves in final 4 minutes
The second-half spiral continues for the Miami Heat with maybe the Heat’s worst loss yet.
Miami blew a 12-point lead in the final four minutes Wednesday, letting the Minnesota Timberwolves rally back for a 129-126 win at American Airlines Arena after Jordan McLaughlin dropped in a layup with 8.5 seconds left.
The Timberwolves, who had lost 18 of 19 entering the game, trailed 121-109 after All-Star post player Bam Adebayo hit a pair of free throws with 3:59 remaining, then broke off a 14-2 run to tie the game at 123-123 with 45.7 seconds remaining. All-Star wing Jimmy Butler put the Heat (36-22) back ahead with a pair of free throws with 13.8 seconds left, but a final defensive breakdown by Miami let the Minnesota point guard get free for the game-winning layup. Butler got to the rim on the Heat’s next possession, but he couldn’t finish in traffic and Miami lost for the seventh time in its last nine games.
The loss, the Heat’s third in four games since the NBA All-Star Game, keeps Miami just a 1/2 game ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
The Timberwolves’ run was fueled, as its entire night was, by three-pointers. Juan Hernangomez hit one three, then guard Josh Okogie hit a jumper and McLaughlin canned another three. An and-one by Minnesota guard Malik Beasley on the next possession started a parade of free throws and the Timberwolves (17-40) made five of their next six to tie the game at 123-123. The only points during Minnesota’s run came on a short shot Butler, who finished with 18 points and nine assists, but didn’t crack double figures in the scoring column until the third quarter.
Adebayo went to the free-throw line hoping to stop the bleeding with 28.6 seconds left and made 1 of 2 — he was just 10 of 15 for the game, although he scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. It left the Timberwolves with a chance to win the game on the other end and Minnesota forward Jake Layman made a pair of free throws with 17.4 seconds left to put the Timberwolves ahead for the first time since the opening moments of the fourth.
Butler responded with his two and then McLaughlin responded with his drive. The Heat had clawed back from a 10-point first-half deficit and nearly rallied again in the final seconds before suffering another shocking loss to one of the worst teams in the NBA.
This story was originally published February 26, 2020 at 10:20 PM.
