The playoff push continues.
Thanks to some impactful performances off the bench, the HEAT defeated the Timberwolves 121-112 Friday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.
As a result of that and Boston’s loss, Miami moved up to the sixth seed in the East for the time being.
SHOP
Let’s get into how the HEAT got the job done, shall we?
1. Tyler Goes Off
Well, it’s good to have Tyler Herro back.
After missing the last six games with right foot soreness, Herro showed no rust whatsoever and provided a major boost off the bench.
It all started with a 12-point second quarter where he just hit trey after trey after trey…
…and culminated with an 11-point fourth where he continued to get buckets.
Boy Wonder indeed.
When it was all said and done, Herro amassed a game-high 27 points (tied with Karl-Anthony Towns) on 10-of-13 shooting, including 6-of-8 from distance, four assists, three rebounds and a game-high plus-21 rating.
2. Goran Sharp Throughout
With two days between games, Goran Dragić looked refreshed and energetic from the very moment he stepped onto the court.
Early on, the Dragon cooked Minnesota both on and off the ball, as he attacked in transition and also took advantage of mismatches in the half court.
As the game progressed, however, Dragić started to get going from deep and actually hit back-to-back dagger treys in the fourth to ensure the victory.
In all, the 35-year-old tallied 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting, including 3-of-6 from downtown, four rebounds, three assists and a plus-17 rating.
3. Jimmy Stays Dominant On Both Ends
Simply put, Jimmy was Jimmy in this one.
Not only did Butler set the tone and score at will in the paint, but he also was disruptive on the defensive end.
Whether he was guarding Towns or Anthony Edwards, he made things as tough as possible on them.
Oh yeah, he also played the passing lanes extremely well and racked up a game-high five steals (tied with Jarred Vanderbilt), two of which were pick-sixes.
Those never get old.
In addition to those five steals, Butler also accumulated 25 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field and 11-of-14 shooting from the line, a team-high eight rebounds (tied with Trevor Ariza), a team-high six assists and a plus-three rating.
Game Note:
-Victor Oladipo (right knee soreness) was inactive.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT will hit the road for a very important two-game series against the Celtics on Sunday and Tuesday. Miami will then return to the 305 for its regular-season home finale versus the Sixers on Thursday at 7:30PM. Tickets for that game at AmericanAirlines Arena can be found here.