PREVIEW (through Reuters)
The Minnesota Timberwolves proceed a four-game highway swing on Monday, visiting the Miami Heat in a matchup of groups aiming to get on the appropriate facet of 0.500 earlier than the brand new 12 months.
Miami, coming into the latter half of a four-game homestand, dropped its final two video games to fall to 16-17 — 113-103 final Tuesday to Chicago and 111-106 to Indiana on Friday.
All-NBA wing Jimmy Butler, who has performed sporadically since early November on account of harm, missed the Chicago loss after which exited Friday’s defeat with a sprained ankle.
FORM GUIDE
Minnesota Timberwolves
LOSS – December 24: Celtics 121-109 Timberwolves
LOSS – December 22: Timberwolves 99-104 Mavericks
WIN – December 20: Timberwolves 1116-106 Mavericks
WIN – December 19: Timberwolves 150-126 Bulls
WIN – December 17: Thunder 110-112 Timberwolves
Miami Heat
LOSS – December 24: Heat 108-111 Pacers
LOSS – December 21: Heat 103-113 Bulls
WIN – December 18: Spurs 101-111 Heat
WIN – December 16: Rockets 108-111 Heat
WIN – December 15: Thunder 108-110 Heat
“It’s tough whenever I’m in and out of the lineup so much,” Butler stated following the sport to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “I don’t choose to do that obviously. But at this point, it’s frustrating.”
Butler keys the Heat on either side of the ground, main the group in scoring at 21.8 factors per recreation and steals with 1.9 per recreation. His 6.8 rebounds per recreation are second solely to Bam Adebayo’s 9.8, and Butler’s 5.8 assists an evening path solely Kyle Lowry’s 5.9 per recreation amongst all Miami gamers.
The Heat is 5-7 with Butler out of the lineup this season, a report that features a 105-101 loss to Minnesota on Nov. 21.
Its first assembly with Miami got here throughout a season-best five-game profitable streak for the Timberwolves. Since that streak concluded with the ultimate victory on Nov. 23, Minnesota has gone 6-9, together with losses in every of its final two outings.
The Timberwolves opened their present highway swing on Friday in a 121-109 loss at NBA-leading Boston.
Anthony Edwards scored 30 factors, giving him 117 over Minnesota’s final 4 video games, and D’Angelo Russell completed with 21 factors and 10 assists, however the void of Karl-Anthony Towns from the lineup with a proper calf sprain loomed because the Timberwolves surrendered a 53-45 rebounding disparity.
Towns is averaging 20.8 factors and eight.2 rebounds per recreation, and has been a key distributor for the Minnesota offense with 5.3 assists per recreation. Towns has been sidelined since Nov. 30.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
Played – 30 | Minnesota Timberwolves – 6 | Miami Heat – 13 | Draws – 11
“We’re not going to take the next step as a team until we rebound the ball better,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch stated in his postgame press convention. “We’re not physical enough. We don’t find guys. Again, a lot of times it’s our wings, it’s our smalls. We got to get in the fight.”
Minnesota ranks within the lower-third of the NBA with 42.6 rebounds per recreation. Miami, in the meantime, has been even much less efficient on the glass general at 40.8 rebounds per recreation. When the groups met final month, Miami out-rebounded Minnesota, 46-40, however the Timberwolves shot 43.5 p.c from the ground to the Heat’s 38.9.
Minnesota’s 49 p.c taking pictures from the sector on the season is the third-best within the league via video games performed on Saturday. Miami is taking pictures 45.1 p.c, one of many five-lowest averages within the NBA and an element within the Heat’s 108.0-points per recreation output.
Only the Los Angeles Clippers are scoring much less on common than Miami.
When will the Timberwolves vs Heat post-Christmas NBA 2022-23 match be performed?
The Minnesota Timberwolves vs Miami Heat post-Christmas conflict of the NBA 2022-23 season shall be performed on Monday, December 27.
At what time will Minnesota Timberwolves vs Miami Heat post-Christmas conflict of the NBA 2022-23 season be performed?
The Minnesota Timberwolves vs Miami Heat post-Christmas conflict of the NBA 2022-23 season shall be performed at 6AM IST.
Where will the Timberwolves vs Heat post-Christmas NBA 2022-23 match be performed?
The Minnesota Timberwolves vs Miami Heat post-Christmas conflict of the NBA 2022-23 season shall be performed on the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida.
Where are you able to watch the Timberwolves vs Heat post-Christmas NBA 2022-23 match in India?
The Minnesota Timberwolves vs Miami Heat post-Christmas conflict of the NBA 2022-23 season might be streamed on NBA League Pass.
