Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) walks past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (left) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nikola Jovic made the go-ahead layup with 7.8 seconds left to send the Miami Heat past the Minnesota Timberwolves 95-94 and end their three-game losing streak on Sunday night.
Jovic, who had 15 points and seven rebounds in his first game off the bench this season, pushed the limit by subbing out four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. Jovic went to the line and gave the Heat the lead for the first time since 63-61.
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Mike Conley’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer was short, ending another frantic Timberwolves possession that saw their three-game winning streak end. Jaden McDaniels gave them the lead by blocking Conley’s miss with nine seconds left.
READ: NBA: Jokic leads Nuggets past Heat for third straight triple-double
All angles of Niko’s game-winning and-1.
This is entirely in the spirit of Coach Spo. pic.twitter.com/qr0jcmik1N
– Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 11, 2024
Tyler Herro had 26 points for the Heat, who played without star Jimmy Butler.
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Anthony Edwards scored 22 points on 8-for-24 shooting for the Wolves, who trailed by 12 points after a 3-for-15 start from 3-point range. At halftime they reduced the deficit to 52:51, although they only put in a solid performance on offense.
Takeaways
Heat: With 23 turnovers, 14 steals and a season-high nine blocks, the Heat made sure Minnesota’s offense was just as disorganized as theirs. Jaime Jaquez Jr. (illness) returned after a three-game absence.
Timberwolves: Twenty turnovers and rough shots were somewhat tempered by a season-best 16 offensive rebounds, six of them from Gobert.
READ: NBA: Suns beat Heat, extend winning streak to six games
Key moment
Naz Reid, who shot 4-for-7 from deep, hit a 3-pointer late in the third quarter to give the Timberwolves a 64-63 lead, giving them their first lead since 10-9. This happened in the middle of a 15-0 run.
Key statistics
Herro set a career high with his 39th consecutive game, including the playoffs, with double-digit points. The streak began on January 8th.
Next
Miami plays at Detroit on Tuesday. Minnesota plays at Portland on Tuesday and stays there for a second game on Wednesday.
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