The Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t get to exact revenge on Jimmy Butler, but the Miami Heat didn’t need their All-Star guard to deliver a 113-110 defeat on Monday night.
Butler sat out for the third time in the past six games as he is managing an ankle injury. His absence may not have been a coincidence, however, as Butler has sat out for the third straight meeting with the Timberwolves dating back to last season.
Miami struggled in some areas without Butler as they shot just 26 percent on 3-point attempts. The Heat made up for it in the paint, however, as they outscored the Timberwolves 64-52.
Minnesota had some bright spots as Anthony Edwards led the team with 29 points while dishing out seven assists and six rebounds and Naz Reid added 21 points and 11 rebounds off the bench to keep the game close, but Miami had too much firepower.
Max Strus had a team-high 19 points for Miami, Kyle Lowry added 18 points and nine assists and Tyler Herro hit a fade-away jumper with 33 seconds to go to finish with 14 points and give Miami a 113-108 lead.
Although the Timberwolves made it a 113-110 game on an Edwards layup with 28.2 seconds to go, they couldn’t get a clean shot on the final possession to seal their fate.
The Timberwolves fell to 16-18 with the loss and will travel to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.
