If there is one team that has performed the most impressively this season, the vast majority of fans will definitely choose the Timberwolves. The reason is simple, last season's Timberwolves were still a team that could only hover on the edge of the playoffs. But they never expected that they would become the team with the best record in the West this season. That's right, with the league's No. 1 defensive efficiency, they have a 19-5 record and are ranked first in the West. According to this trend, even if the Timberwolves come to the stage of the playoffs, they may become the biggest obstacle to the championship favorites.
You know, in the playoff arena to test the team's defensive ability, the Timberwolves can continue to play their advantages on the defensive end. As the regular season continues, they are back in Miami to challenge last season's Eastern Conference champions, the Heat. To be sure, even though the Heat didn't complete the roster upgrade in the offseason, their situation wasn't too bad. As of now, they also have the fifth place in the East. This time, accepting the challenge of the Wolves, the Heat was deflated, and let Edwards lead the team to complete a 21-point comeback with a total score of 112-108.
In the first half of the game, the Heat, who were playing at home, were in excellent form, and at one point extended their lead to 17 points. In the first quarter of the game, Herro shot 4 of 6, 2 of 2 free throws, and delivered 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal, Adebayo also had 7 points, 1 assist and 1 steal, and Butler, who handed over 9 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist, helped the team take an 11-point lead with a score of 33-22. Entering the second quarter of the matchup, the Heat was able to take advantage of the situation, ignoring the 19-point scoring contribution of the double champion in a single quarter, and expanded the difference to 12 points with a score of 33-32.
After the rematch, the Timberwolves, who were behind in the score, finally launched a strong counterattack. In the third quarter, Edwards played a full 12 minutes, shooting 3-of-9, delivering 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals, Towns also had 4 points and 3 rebounds, and Gobert also sent 4 points and 5 rebounds, successfully narrowing the gap to 7 points with a score of 23-17. In the final quarter of the decisive game, Edwards was still in hot form, shooting 5 of 7, delivering 10 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists, leading the team to a 35-25 score and winning the game with a total score of 112-108.
After winning the game, the Timberwolves took advantage of the situation to get a wave of three consecutive wins, further consolidating the throne of the Western Conference. Looking back at the data of the game, the performance of the Timberwolves' side is still worthy of praise. He played nearly 40 minutes in a single game, shooting 13-of-25 from the field and delivering 32 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. At the same time, Towns also has 18 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists, as well as Gobert who handed over 9 points, 16 rebounds and 2 assists, and Conley who handed over 12 points and 6 assists. In addition, Reed, who came off the bench, also handed over 15 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist, playing the style of a substitute wonder.
On the other hand, the Eastern champion Heat, who lost at home, ushered in a comeback in this game, and the overall performance was not bad. Herro shot 10-of-18 from the field and finished with a team-high 25 points, as well as three rebounds and two assists. At the same time, Adebayo also had 22 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, as well as Butler, who handed over 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. In addition, Robinson, who came off the bench, also made 4 of 8 three-pointers, 5 of 9 shots, and delivered 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, as well as Richardson, who handed over 13 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.