Wolves hang on against short-handed Heat for fourth straight victory

Julius Randle was one assist shy of a triple-double for the second straight game Friday night.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels saves the ball from going out of play as Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo closes in during the first half at Kaseya Center in Miami on March 7, 2025. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Timberwolves got a little bit from everyone and they were able to outlast the Miami Heat for a 106-104 victory Friday night at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The win is Minnesota's fourth straight, and this one didn't come easy.

Bam Adebayo made back-to-back buckets to cut a five-point deficit to three, and the Heat (29-33) and Wolves (36-29) were trading misses. Jaden McDaniels grabbed an offensive rebound and got a putback with 1 minute, 5 seconds left in the fourth quarter to push it back to a five-point lead at 104-99. Duncan Robinson hit a 3 with 3 seconds left to make it 106-104, and Mike Conley turned it over giving the Heat possession, but Adebayo missed a potential game-winning 3.

Early on, it looked like Minnesota might run away with the game. A really strong first quarter saw the Wolves jump ahead 33-25, and they took a lead as large as 11 points in the second quarter. But Miami closed the quarter on a 20-9 run to make it a 52-52 draw heading into the halftime break. With Rudy Gobert still out due to back spasms, the Wolves had a tough time containing Adebayo, who finished with a game-high 29 points, 13 rebounds and four assists. Tyler Herro added 22 points. The Heat were short-handed and without Andrew Wiggins and Alec Burks, among others, due to injuries.

It wasn't the usual suspects leading the charge for the Wolves, rather it was a little bit of everyone contributing. Anthony Edwards didn't start the third quarter and wasn't on the bench for reasons that weren't immediately clear, and though he returned to the game shortly after, he didn't quite look himself. Edwards wasn't as aggressive as usual, attempting just 10 shots and finishing with 13 points, but he led the team with 13 important rebounds and also added six assists.

Leading the scoring charge were the point guards — Conley and Donte DiVincenzo, each of whom had a significant impact Friday night. They both scored 15 points, matching a team high along with Naz Reid, and Conley added two steals, two rebounds, two assists and a block while DiVincenzo contributed six rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block.

For the second straight game, Julius Randle finished one assist shy of a triple-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. His impact has proven invaluable as the four-game winning streak coincides with his return to the lineup. Jaden McDaniels contributed 13 points, six rebounds and four assists. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 12 points, two rebounds, two blocks and a steal off the bench, and he hit a critical game-tying 3-pointer during the fourth quarter.

The Wolves got a little bit from everyone, and while the game may have ended up closer than it needed to be, they found a way to sneak out with their fourth straight win. They'll have a chance to make it five when they host the San Antonio Spurs Sunday night for a 7 p.m. tipoff at Target Center in Minneapolis.