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The Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves will go into this matchup on the back of two losses each, where both sides struggled offensively. Their opponents were some of the league's elite, with Miami losing to the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets, while the Timberwolves had no answer for the Milwaukee Bucks or Brooklyn Nets' onslaught.
Match Details
Fixture - Miami Heat vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | 2020-21 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Friday, April 16th; 8:00 PM ET (Saturday, April 17th; 5:30 AM IST).
Venue - Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Miami Heat Preview
Despite their defense looking far more solid recently, the Miami Heat struggled to hold off Nikola Jokic and co. on Wednesday night. However, their road trip ends on Friday, and coach Spoelstra will be looking to go into a tough fixture with the Brooklyn Nets at the weekend on the back of a win.
After winning six of their last 10 matchups, the Miami Heat sit only two games behind the Atlanta Hawks in the East's fourth seed. If they are to repeat their impressive run from last year's playoffs this time around, Miami will be looking to avoid a first-round matchup with one of the Conference's top three sides, who have been dominant all season.
In the last 10 matchups, the Miami Heat rank second for opposition points in the paint while conceding the third-fewest second-chance points. However, they are the fifth-lowest scoring side in the league this year.
Key Player - Bam Adebayo
While the Miami Heat have struggled in general to be offensively efficient this season, Bam Adebayo continues to develop into one of the most dominant big men in the league.
The 23-year-old has played in 49 of the Miami Heat's 56 matchups this season and has upped his career average for points per night (19). Adebayo has also been prolific from the line, shooting an impressive 81% which is 12% higher than the last campaign.
Karl-Anthony Towns could return to face the Miami Heat, which would be a mouth-watering matchup between the two stars down low.
Miami Heat Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Kendrick Nunn l Shooting Guard - Duncan Robinson l Small Forward - Trevor Ariza l Power Forward - Jimmy Butler l Center - Bam Adebayo.
Minnesota Timberwolves Preview
Even though they are still the West's bottom seed, the Minnesota Timberwolves have looked a lot more positive in recent weeks. D'Angelo Russell has been prolific off the bench, Karl-Anthony Towns looks back to his best and Anthony Edwards has taken control of the rookie of the year debate.
Over their last 10 fixtures, Minnesota have knocked off the Knicks and the Bulls. They have also taken the Boston Celtics into overtime, scoring 136 points against them in the process.
While there is expected to be a summer of change at the franchise, with Karl-Anthony Towns and Russell supposedly up for sale, the Minnesota Timberwolves will have another high lottery pick in the draft who they can combine with new superstar Edwards.
Key Player - Anthony Edwards
The Minnesota Timberwolves' No.1 draft pick, Anthony Edwards, has gone from strength to strength for the franchise and continues to prove his worth with every passing night.
Based on his ever-growing confidence, the 19-year-old will certainly have a very successful career ahead. Edwards is a walking highlight at the moment for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are coming toward the end of another disappointing season thwarted by injuries.
In his last 10 games, Edwards has averaged 23.2 points and 4.7 rebounds. He has gained a lot of experience this campaign and has made 18 field-goal attempts per night, benefitting from being the go-to option alongside Karl-Anthony Towns.
Minnesota Timberwolves Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Ricky Rubio l Shooting Guard - Anthony Edwards l Small Forward - Josh Okogie l Power Forward - Jaden McDaniels l Center - Naz Reid.
Heat vs. Timberwolves Match Prediction
Despite losing seven of their last 10 matchups, the Minnesota Timberwolves have at least given most of their opponents a challenging game. They scored over 135 points against both the Pacers and Celtics last week and rank 11th in the league over those 10 games for points per night.
However, given the Miami Heat's eagerness to finish in the automatic playoff berths, we are predicting that the away team will come out of this one as victors. The Heat have too much experience and defensive talent to deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves' threat.
Where to watch the Heat vs. Timberwolves Matchup
Fans in America can catch the game locally on Bally Sports Sun and The CW - Twin Cities. You can also stream it live or on playback with an NBA League Pass.
