The Minnesota Timberwolves (35-29) are in South Beach to face the Miami Heat (29-32) on Friday (8 ET, League Pass), aiming for their fourth straight win. The Heat edged out a 95-94 victory in their last meeting on Nov. 10 in Minneapolis.
Five things to know before this matchup:
1. Anthony Edwards dialed in: After serving a suspension on Feb. 28, Edwards returned with a stellar performance against Phoenix, scoring 44 points with 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. Edwards, the NBA’s fourth-leading scorer (27.5 ppg), followed that up with 29 points and 6-for-13 shooting from three in Wednesday’s win. He also became the first player in NBA history to reach 250 threes in a season before age 25.
2. Favorable schedule for Minnesota: The Wolves have the West’s easiest remaining schedule by opponent winning percentage. Seven of their final 18 games are against teams with winning records. Currently seventh in the West, Minnesota sits just four games behind the fourth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies, with a chance to climb the standings.
3. Julius Randle back for Wolves: Randle returned from a groin injury that sidelined him for February and has helped the Wolves to a 3-0 record since. He’s averaging 20.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 33 minutes per game. Randle nearly notched his first triple-double of the season on Wednesday with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists.
4. Bam Adebayo heating up: Adebayo has been on a tear recently, averaging 21.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in February. He’s taken it up a notch in March, posting 27.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, including a season-high 34 points against Cleveland on Wednesday.
5. Tyler Herro could return: Herro missed Wednesday’s game with a head cold but is expected back Friday. The 2024-25 All-Star is averaging career-highs in points (23.9), field goal percentage (45.9), assists (5.7), and minutes (35.6). Herro led Miami with 26 points in their November win over Minnesota and will be key in the Heat’s push for the No. 6 spot in the East, currently held by the Detroit Pistons (35-28).
