It’s safe to argue that the Miami Heat’s season has been uneven.
However, after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-110 on Monday, they are again back at.500. Another one against a non-playoff team was close.
The Heat’s two leading scorers, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo were absent, but the Timberwolves also needed Karl-Anthony Towns.
Here are a few key highlights from the game:
Tyler Herro once more demonstrated why he could be relied upon in crunch time. With 33 seconds left, Herro made a shot with the Heat leading 111-108. Initially deemed a 3-pointer, it was eventually changed to a two. Nevertheless, he gave the Heat the victory.
Max Strus made his 19th start of the season, while Nikola Jovic made his eighth due to the absence of Butler and Adebayo. Strus played well, scoring 19 points on 58 percent of his shots. Additionally, he made 5 of his ten 3-point attempts. Jovic only had nine points in the end because of his early foul problems.
The Heat have a full bench. Orlando Robinson had 15 points, compared to Gabe Vincent’s 11 points. The first of Duncan Robinson’s three 3-pointers earned him 800 for his career, making him the fastest NBA player to reach that milestone.
Even though the Heat prevailed, they struggled to end games quickly when playing against non-playoff opponents. It makes people question their willingness to advance in the playoffs.