The Miami Heat defeated the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves, 123 - 105, at American Airlines Arena on Friday evening. The Heat owned a significant 64 - 49 lead at halftime, however the Timberwolves came back with a 32 - point third quarter to cut the deficit to nine heading into the fourth. The Heat got right back to business in the fourth though, led by Goran Dragic, who poured in 12 points in the quarter, to help seal the win and keep Miami's playoff hopes alive. Unfortunately for Miami, Dion Waiters was forced to leave the game in the second quarter after rolling his ankle. The Heat (34 - 35) dished 29 assists and shot a blistering 59 percent from the field, to earn their 20th home win of the season. Hassan Whiteside led the way for Miami with 23 points on 10 - of - 11 shooting and 14 rebounds, in 33 minutes. Tyler Johnson also poured in 23 points, while James Johnson chipped in 17 points, as they continued to provide the Heat with a huge spark off the bench. Goran Dragic added 19 points and dished 10 assists, in 33 minutes of action. With the Pistons and the Bulls both taking loses on Friday night, this win is extremely valuable for Miami's playoff aspirations, as it puts them one game ahead of the ninth - place Pistons and two games ahead of the tenth - place Bulls. The Heat will look to continue their effort, as they play host to the Trail Blazers on Sunday. Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves (28 - 40) with 31 points and 11 rebounds, while Andrew Wiggins followed up with 26 points and Ricky Rubio added 20. The only other player to score in double digits for the T-Wolves was Shabazz Muhammad, who chipped in 15 on 7 - of - 10 shooting, in 28 minutes off the bench. The Timberwolves now sit five games out of eighth in the West, and will continue to battle, as they visit New Orleans to take on the Pelicans on Sunday.
["TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 29 Number of team assists ,has 59 Percentage of field goals ,has 35 Losses ,has 123 Total points ,has 40 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 34 Points in 3rd quarter ."
 "TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 40 Number of team assists ,has 105 Percentage of field goals ,has 26 Losses ,has 32 Total points ,has 28 Points in 2nd quarter ,has 28 Points in 3rd quarter ."]