The Miami HEAT defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 123-105 Friday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Hassan Whiteside and Tyler Johnson each led the HEAT with 23 points apiece.
1. T. Johnson Catches Fire In The Third
While Tyler Johnson played pretty well in the first half, nothing could prepare Minnesota for what was to come in the third quarter. With Dion Waiters out, Johnson stepped up and tallied 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting in the period. Whether it was spot-up threes or attacks to the basket, the combo guard did damage. One of his better plays of the flurry came late in the third.
With 4:15 to play in the period, T. Johnson used the screen from J. Johnson at the right corner, received the ball at the wing and drove right down the lane for the two-handed stuff plus the foul.
In addition to his 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, the Fresno State product also tallied three assists, two rebounds and two blocks.
2. Whiteside Shuts The Door In The Fourth
Although Hassan Whiteside was active and engaged from the very start, his strong play in the fourth quarter was really a sight to behold. As has been the case for the past few games, the big fella did a nice job in both pick-and-roll and help-side defense. Not to mention, he also mixed up his offensive approach throughout the night with some thunderous alley-oop jams and nifty spin-moves in the post. One of his better plays of the game came a little under midway through the fourth.
With 5:03 left in the period, Whiteside drove inside past Gorgui Dieng, absorbed contact from the big man and still finished the one-handed flush.
That great play was part of a nine-point, three-rebound, three-block fourth quarter for the 27-year-old in which he also led the team with a plus-13 rating. In total, Whiteside shot 10-of-11 for his 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to go along with those three aforementioned blocks.
3. J. Johnson Keeps Up His Versatile Play
As usual, James Johnson made an immediate impact once he stepped onto the floor against the Timberwolves. From pinpoint bounce passes to sky-high lobs, his playmaking ability was on full display. Of course, the forward dug in on the defensive end too. Let’s take a look at both of those things combined in the following play.
With 7:25 left in the second quarter, J. Johnson swatted Andrew Wiggins in the lane and then Josh Richardson came up with the loose ball. From there, Richardson raced down court and found J. Johnson, who threw up a beautiful lob to Willie Reed for the jam in transition.
J. Johnson finished with 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting, six assists, two rebounds, two steals and a plus-25 rating in addition to that block.
Other Takeaways:
-After not shooting as well as he’s used to through the first three quarters, Goran Dragić put his head down and continued to attack the basket in the fourth quarter. That approach obviously paid off, as the Slovenian tallied 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the period, including a nifty up-and-under reverse layup with 1:44 remaining in the game.
Earlier, Dragić had a fantastic no-look pass to J. Johnson in the final seconds of the first half. What made the play even better was the fact that Dragić walked towards J. Johnson after the pass with his hands in the air already knowing the result.
In all, the point guard scored 19 points, dished out 10 assists, grabbed five rebounds and stole the ball three times.
-Richardson did a great job of defending Wiggins throughout the contest. As such, the young man out of Edmond, Oklahoma notched a plus-25 rating to go along with his five points, four rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
Game Notes:
-Dion Waiters exited the game in the second quarter with a sprained left ankle and did not return because he was unable to shoot free throws after being fouled.
-Justise Winslow (right shoulder surgery) and Josh McRoberts (left foot stress fracture) sat out.
Looking Ahead:
-Up next for the HEAT are the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday at 6:00 PM. Tickets for that game can be found here.