Miami Heat Hoping to Get Hot in Minnesota
By David Ramil
Tonight’s game between the Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves offers a chance for the team to get back on track after a thorough beatdown on Tuesday. Check out the start time, TV info, preview and more.
Start Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Location: Game will be played in Minneapolis at the Target Center
TV Info: Fox Sports/NBA League Pass
Radio: 104.3 The Ticket
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to predict how Miami will respond on a nightly basis. From now on (or until Dwyane Wade returns at full strength) let’s just assume things will go badly.
The Heat looked shaky early against the Pistons on Tuesday, allowing a 25-1 run to end the first quarter that effectively ended their night almost immediately after it had started. Miami, behind 34 points from Chris Bosh, were able to claw their way back but Detroit pulled away in the second half. The Heat were simply outplayed and dominated, as Erik Spoelstra told ESPN.com:
"“They played at a much harder competitive pace than we did and that set the tempo for the game on both ends of the court. They had us on our heels from the beginning. We could never get our footing from there.”"
The loss sent the Heat to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference standings. a spot they’ll be lucky to keep until Wade’s return.
The Timberwolves (8-40) would seem to be an easier challenge that staying in the postseason hunt. The Heat have won eight of their last nine meetings, with the exception being a loss in April where the team was without Wade. Minnesota was never expected to compete for a title this season but they’re season has been a disappointment. Trading away Kevin Love to Cleveland brought back youth and talent and gave the franchise and its fans hope for a bright future. While that’s still the case, it’s been somewhat muted by injuries to key veteran players.
Ricky Rubio is back at point guard for the Wolves, playing his first game in months on Monday, a loss to the Mavericks. He looked rusty in his effort but Miami’s issues at point guard could be the boost he needs. Kevin Martin, a streaky shooter who just returned to action, has had his issues with the Heat; he’s just 34.8 percent shooter in 15 career-games against Miami.
But the matchup of the night is clearly seeing how Hassan Whiteside will go up against Nikola Pekovic. The burly center is averaging 18.3 points and 11.7 boards in his last three games against the Heat but Whiteside should limit Pekovic in the paint.
Still, the Detroit loss was a painful reminder that anything can happen this season for Miami. Anything, that is, but win consistently.
Check back with All U Can Heat for a full recap, along with post-game player grades, analysis and much more.