By Reinaldo Oliveros
29 Oct 2023, 10:40 AM EDT
Mexican-American rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. started this Saturday for the first time in the NBA but his Miami Heat, without Jimmy Butler due to rest, lost on the road 106-90 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Jaquez Jr. played 18 minutes and He contributed 7 points, 3 rebounds and an assist for the Heat (1-2) that also did not have Kevin Love and Caleb Martin.
In the Wolves, who added their first win of the new season (1-1), the Dominican-American Karl Anthony-Towns achieved 12 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists and a steal in 31 minutes.
However, the great figure of the locals was the substitute center Naz Reid, who shone with 25 points (10 of 14 in shots, 4 of 7 in triples), 8 rebounds and a +/- differential of +30.
Tyler Herro (22 points) and Bam Adebayo (19 points) were the Heat’s leading scorers.
The score remained very balanced in the first three quarters, but in the last period the Wolves pressed the accelerator with a 26-17 which was definitive against a team depleted by losses and that had just played on Friday night against the Celtics in Boston (119-111 loss).
Equality until the last quarter
Despite the absences, the Heat entered the game strong and dominated the first quarter (26-31) with 8 points from a very active Herro.
Anthony Edwards responded with 9 points in the first period, but the Wolves were weighed down by their poor 2 of 9 from the perimeter in the first twelve minutes.
Minnesota began to become strong with its big men, especially with Reid who provided a lot of freshness from the bench, and the Heat choked in that second quarter from the perimeter (1 of 8).
However, Towns showed his claws in the final stretch of the third quarter and allowed the Wolves reached the final period with what, in such a balanced game, seemed like an interesting cushion (80-73).
Although Herro and Adebayo did not give up, the Wolves took advantage of their wardrobe in the last quarter with a brutal run of 19-1 in six minutes that sealed the match.
The Heat will have a tough confrontation on Monday against the Milwaukee Bucks of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard while the Wolves will also play that day against the Atlanta Hawks of Trae Young.
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