Frustrations flare up as Wolves lose to Miami 121-112

MIAMI – Before Friday's game, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was asked how the absence of Jaden McDaniels for personal reasons would affect his starting lineup.

"We thought we were going to start four tonight," Finch joked.

The Wolves didn't, but if you ask them they probably felt outmanned in Friday's 121-112 loss, since for most of the night the Wolves were fighting with the officials as much as they were the Heat.

In a pivotal third quarter, D'Angelo Russell was ejected after picking up two technicals, Finch and Ricky Rubio each got one while Karl-Anthony Towns picked up a technical along with old friend Jimmy Butler for exchanging pleasantries late in the game.

From there, the wheels never came completely off, but the Wolves never got enough traction as Miami cruised to victory in the fourth.

Butler had 25 for Miami while Towns had 27 for the Wolves. Anthony Edwards finished with 25 while Russell had 17 before he was tossed.

Goran Dragic had 23 and Tyler Herro added 27 off the bench for Miami.

The last time the Wolves and Heat got together it was Miami who took an early double-digit lead in Target Center. The roles reversed at American Airlines Arena on Friday with the Wolves coming out on fire and opening a 29-18 lead. They did so because Russell, who was starting for the second consecutive game, shook off his recent three-point shooting woes by hitting three of his first four from deep, including one that was from halfway between Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

With McDaniels out, Jarred Vanderbilt got the start and provided his usual brand of hustle and energy that was needed in a starting unit that could be light on defense.

Butler led the Heat charge back after the Wolves went ahead by 11 as he scored 10 while playing nearly all of the first.

The Wolves offense ground to a halt when the second unit, which now plays without Russell since he's a starter, hit the floor. Over a span of 6 minutes, 13 seconds following their 11-point lead, the Wolves managed to score just three points. In that timeframe, the Heat took a 36-32 lead behind the hot shooting of Dragic and Herro off the bench.

Miami would lead by as many as eight, 49-41. Towns and Edwards were slow to start as Towns had trouble adjusting to Miami's physicality and picked up three fouls, two which were avoidable. Edwards was 1 of 5 before scoring the Wolves' final five points of the half to send them into the locker room down 59-54.

When they came out, they were in an argumentative mood. Towns got in foul trouble and Russell got ejected at the 4:35 mark.

The Wolves were letting the whistles, or lack thereof, mess with their emotions in the game. Russell's ejection wasn't ideal for the Wolves, who could use all the scoring they could against the physical Heat defense.

The only one who it didn't seem to bother was Edwards, who kept the Wolves in it. But after Edwards hit a three to pull the Wolves within 85-76, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called timeout and sent double teams after Edwards the rest of the quarter.

The Wolves scored just three points over the next 3:23. Towns, who disappeared to the tunnel after Russell was ejected, re-emerged for the fourth as coolers head prevailed. But Miami took a 99-85 lead, its largest of the night as Towns picked up his fifth foul just minutes into the final quarter.

The Wolves chopped away at it and got it down to 101-94 as Towns played as much as he could with five fouls. But after Dragic hit a pair of threes to put Miami up 114-101, allowing Towns and Butler to air out some grievances free of the pressure of a close game as the clock wound down.