Heat 103, Timberwolves 82
MINNEAPOLIS -- Lebron James and Dwyane Wade didn't need to shoot a three pointer against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.
Wade threw an alley-oop pass off the backboard to James as part of a 17-6 run to close the third quarter in the Miami Heat's 103-82 win at Target Center on Saturday. It snapped the Heat's two-game losing streak, while was the Wolves' second straight loss.
The alley-oop was two of the Heat's 56 points in the paint. James flirted with a triple-double with 21 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.
Kevin Martin led the Wolves with 19 points.
Wade missed the last two games due to a knee injury and an illness, but he scored the team's first points on the opening possession en route to a 19-point performance.
The Wolves were without Kevin Love and struggled offensively and on the boards. They shot 29.3 percent from the floor without a starter shooting over 50 percent. The Heat were outrebounded for a third straight game, 45-44, despite Love's absence. Nikola Pekovic finished with 12 rebounds to collect his fourth double-double over the last five games.
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute replaced Love in the starting lineup and had 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting.
The Wolves had the largest first-quarter point differential in the NBA (108) entering Saturday's contest and held a 25-24 lead after the first period, led by Martin's 12-point quarter. But the Heat went on an 11-2 with James on the bench to start the second quarter. The lead increased to 55-42 at the end of the first half with James, who had 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists at intermission.
Pekovic scored five points in the first two minutes of the second half as part of the Wolves' 11-4 run to trim the deficit down to 59-54, but the Heat quickly answered with their third quarter run with the alley-oop marking the start of the blowout win.
NOTES: Heat guard Dwyane Wade returned to the court on Saturday after missing Thursday's loss against the Bulls due to an illness. Wade said it has been frustrating missing five games already this season. "You want to be out there every day, but it's a part of the game," Wade said. "Everyone deals with it in their way. Only thing I can focus on is when I'm able to get back on the court and try to go out there and help my team win." ... Wolves forward Luc Mbah a Moute made his first start with his new team, filling in for forward Kevin Love, who left the team due to the passing of his grandmother. Mbah a Moute appeared in two games with the Wolves before this start. ... Heat forward Michael Beasley was a late scratch due to a hamstring injury. He is listed as day-to-day. ... Wolves coach Rick Adelman missed Friday's practice to be with his son, Wolves assistant coach David Adelman, and David's wife, Jenny, for the birth of their son, Leonard Joseph (LJ) Adelman. It's Adelman's eighth grandchild.
