Post-Game Grades: Minnesota Timberwolves 122, Miami Heat 121, 2 OT
By Wes Goldberg
Minnesota Timberwolves 122, Miami Heat 121 , 2 OT
LeBron James: B
12-24 FG, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 1 block, 34 points
In the third quarter, LeBron got the Miami Heat back in the game when his team was down 72-63. James scored 12-straight points to close out the quarter at 77-75. However, he seemed less aggressive for the much of the game. LeBron was wiped out toward the end of the night, when he missed a key free-throw that could have tied the game and take it to a third overtime period.
Chris Bosh: B+
8-19 FG (3-7 3FG), 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 24 points
Bosh somehow scored 24 points on a pretty inefficient night. However, his few big plays—a key offensive rebound in the fourth quarter that resulted in a Rashard Lewis three to take the lead, another offensive rebound in overtime when he got fouled and took the lead with freethrows, and his game-tying three at the end of the second overtime—kept Miami in the game.
Mario Chalmers: A-
7-14 FG (2-7 3FG), 8-10 FT (!!!), 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 turnovers, 24 points
Chalmers. Chalmers, Chalmers, Chalmers. He missed two free-throws the entire game. Two really important ones. It’s tough to hate on someone who was 80 percent from the line, but if he just one of those freebies the Heat would have won the game. Chalmers was aggressive all night and severely outplayed Norris Cole. His defense was good and his penetration was important. He could have been the hero of the game, but his missed free-throws and turnovers late in the game are tough to swallow.
Norris Cole: D
0-5 FG (0-4 3FG), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 turnovers, 0 points
Cole was really bad tonight. Maybe worse was Erik Spoelstra’s decision to keep him in late when he could have went with Toney Douglas or James Jones (which he eventually did). Still, Cole couldn’t hit the side of a Carnival cruise ship with a basketball tonight. The foul with 1.2 seconds left at the end of the second overtime, no matter what you think of the call, shot the Heat in the foot.
Miami Heat: B
43-99 (11-36 3FG), 24-30 FT, 52 rebounds to Minnesota’s 46, 20 assists to Minnesota’s 27, 16 turnovers to Minnesota’s 17
The Heat didn’t play their best game tonight even though the game itself was a good one to watch. Miami shot just 43.4 percent tonight and a lot of shots were in-and-out. The ball movement was a bit sloppy but the defense was good all night. The fact that the Heat took a team that would be the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference (and probably higher if they played a larger portion of Eastern Conference teams) to two overtimes when it was missing Dwyane Wade, wasn’t shooting well and was a couple of missed free-throws from a “W” is reassuring.