When the Heat play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, a key for host Miami will be its defensive coverage on Anthony Edwards.
The 6-foot-4 Timberwolves star is averaging career highs in points (27.5), free-throw percentage (83.7) and 3-point percentage (40.6).
Edwards, who finished second in 2021 in the voting for NBA Rookie of the Year, averaged 19.3 points that season. The three-time All-Star has increased his scoring average in each following season.
He’s also getting better in calendar year 2025.
Edwards is averaging 30.3 points in three games this month. If he keeps up that pace, it would be the third straight month that he has averaged more than 30 points per game.
However, Edwards also leads the NBA in technical fouls with 17. For perspective, nobody on the Heat has more than five (Tyler Herro).
In nine career games against Miami, Edwards is averaging 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists.
Miami beat host Minnesota 95-94 in their only meeting so far this season. In that Nov. 10 contest, Herro scored a game-high 26 points. Edwards was held to 22 points on 8-for-24 shooting.
Minnesota will enter Miami coming off a 125-110 win over the host Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. Jaden McDaniels and Edwards each scored 29 points for the Timberwolves.
Point guard Mike Conley (rest) and center Rudy Gobert (back) missed the Hornets game. It appears likely Conley will return to play the Heat.
Forward Julius Randle is Minnesota’s second-leading scorer (18.9) behind Edwards.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said Randle and Donte DiVincenzo — offseason acquisitions from New York in the trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks — are playing well.
Finch said of DiVincenzo: “He makes back-breaking 3-pointers for us. I like how he’s playing an all-around game: rebounding, playmaking and always ready to shoot.”
DiVincenzo is averaging 11.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 26.4 minutes in 45 games. He’s making 39.4 percent of his 3-point attempts and 40.8 percent from the field.
Herro leads Miami in scoring (23.9) and assists (5.7).
However, Herro did not play in Miami’s 112-107 loss at the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday due to illness.
Herro was one of six Heat players who missed the Cavaliers game, including fellow starters Nikola Jovic (broken hand); Andrew Wiggins (ankle); and Kel’el Ware (knee).
In addition, Dru Smith (Achilles tendon) is out for the year, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. has a sprained ankle.
Yet, even with all those issues, the Heat was leading Cleveland — which has the best record in the NBA — with less than three minutes remaining. An apparent game-tying 3-pointer by Miami’s Duncan Robinson with 17 seconds left was waved off because he stepped out of bounds.
One thing Miami has been able to count on is Bam Adebayo, who scored a season-high 34 points against Cleveland. The three-time All-Star center is averaging 17.5 points, a team-high 10.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
Point guard Davion Mitchell — acquired from Toronto in the five-team trade that sent Miami’s Jimmy Butler to Golden State — has given the Heat a boost. Besides playing tough defense, he is making 48.5 percent on 3-pointers in his 10 games with Miami.
Role players Alec Burks (41.9 percent on 3-pointers) and defensive stalwart Haywood Highsmith (40.9 percent on 3-pointers) have also helped Miami.
“We’ve got a lot of guys making plays,” Adebayo said. “We’ve got (only) nine or 10 (healthy) guys, but we still have to find ways to win.”
Miami is 15-12 at home. Minnesota is 18-15 on the road. Both teams entered Thursday in seventh place in their respective conference, putting them in play-in territory.
–Field Level Media
