MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Naz Reid scored 25 points on 10-for-14 shooting in 28 minutes off the bench, sparking the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 106-90 victory in their home opener over the short-handed Miami Heat on Saturday.
The fan favorite Reid swished back-to-back 3-pointers during an 11-0 run for the Timberwolves midway through the fourth quarter and went 4 for 7 from deep. Rudy Gobert (14 points, 14 rebounds) and Karl-Anthony Towns (12 points, 10 rebounds) also played their parts in a dominant performance by the Minnesota big men as the Heat faded hard down the stretch.
Anthony Edwards finished with 19 points after a late flurry for the Timberwolves (1-1), who outscored the Heat 24-4 over a seven-plus minute stretch that lasted deep into the fourth quarter.
Tyler Herro scored 22 points on 8-for-23 shooting and Bam Adebayo added 19 points for Miami, which played without starting forwards Jimmy Butler (rest) and Kevin Love (bruised left shoulder) on the second half of a back-to-back set of games.
With three reserves on the injured list, too, the Heat put their last two first-round draft picks, Jaime Jaquez Jr. (2023) and Nikola Jovic (2022), in the starting lineup and let it rip.
Herro, who had 28 points in the loss to Boston on Friday, went 4 for 11 from 3-point range. Duncan Robinson was just 2 for 10 from deep, an area of concern for the Heat (1-2) this season beyond Herro following the departure of Max Strus and Gabe Vincent.
High hopes for the Timberwolves yielded to some humility in the opening loss at Toronto, where the ball stopped moving on offense in a familiar problem from the past. They played again without forward Jaden McDaniels, whose strained left calf has so far prevented him from showcasing the $136 million contract extension he signed on the eve of the season.
Reid, who signed a three-year, $42 million contract to return in a supporting role to Towns and Gobert that has given the Timberwolves quite the supply of big men, became a cult hero last season and routinely gets the loudest cheers at Target Center.
He had his fingerprints all over this game, giving the Timberwolves their first lead (24-23) with a short jumper and getting more fourth quarter playing time than Towns. Reid rebounded a missed dunk by Edwards in the second quarter and dished to the All-Star for a second try at a layup for a 44-42 lead.
UP NEXT
Heat: At Milwaukee on Monday.
Timberwolves: At Atlanta on Monday.
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