Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and center Bam Adebayo left Friday night’s 106-104 home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves upset and frustrated. Not just because the Heat wasted a fourth-quarter lead for the sixth time in its last seven losses, but also because of the officiating.
With the Timberwolves missing four free throws and committing two turnovers in the final minute of the game, the Heat was able to turn a six-point deficit with 17.8 seconds left in the fourth quarter into an opportunity to force overtime or escape with a dramatic walk-off win.
The Heat gained possession of the ball while trailing by just two points with 1.9 seconds left. With no timeouts left, that game-deciding possession turned into a frantic last-second 26-foot three-point heave from Adebayo that bounced off the top of the backboard as the final buzzer sounded.
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Miami Heat
Heat again can’t close in loss to Timberwolves. Spoelstra calls out officials and other takeaways
March 07, 2025 10:36 PM
But Spoelstra believes that critical possession should have ended with a foul call on Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, which would have sent Adebayo to the free-throw line for three shots in a two-point game.
“This is what I’ll say,” Spoelstra said to begin his postgame press conference on Friday. “That last baseline out of bounds, we did not execute and get what we wanted to. With that said, Bam got fouled. I’m not trying to get fined. League, don’t fine me. I’m not doing histrionics up here. I’m fully in control. At any point during the game, that’s a foul. Did he mean to foul? No. Is that what we wanted? No. But I will tell you this, Bam Adebayo got fouled on that. He got clipped. And if that’s in the first quarter, that’s a foul.
“But we had our opportunities through that fourth quarter. It was back and forth. It was a great game. Both teams were playing for something and they made more plays.”
While defending Adebayo’s three-point look in the final seconds, Randle appeared to get underneath Adebayo and make some contact with him during his shot attempt. But the officials ruled that it wasn’t enough to warrant a foul, with the NBA’s Last Two Minute report that will be issued Saturday expected to offer more clarity on the no-call.
Does Adebayo believe he was fouled by Randle on his last-second three-point attempt?
“I don’t know,” Adebayo said, with the Heat back at it on Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls at Kaseya Center to complete the back-to-back set at home. “I was too busy shooting the ball. It’s one of those things, man, we were right there again and we’re going to have a breakthrough at some point.”
Instead, Adebayo was more upset about how his post-game conversation went with official Kevin Cutler following Friday’s loss.
“Nothing, nothing,” Adebayo said when asked if Cutler offered an explanation for the no-call during their post-game conversation on the court. “And it wasn’t even about the last play. It was throughout the whole game. To me, like I said, I don’t really get too confrontational. I really don’t get into it with the refs because it’s their job and it’s our job too at the end of the day. We got dudes fighting for everything on the line. So to me, it’s like have the decency enough to look me in my eyes when I’m having a conversation.
“Obviously, we lost. I don’t understand why they think we can’t be emotional. We’re going to be emotional. Win or lose games, if we have a conversation and it gets heated, it’s not because I just want to go at you. It’s because [expletive] is happening in the game. Like I said, man, have the decency enough to look a man in his eye and not walk away. That to me is utterly disrespectful in a man’s game.”
Adebayo, who has been called for just one technical foul this season and has been ejected from a game only once during his NBA career, recorded his third consecutive double-double in Friday’s defeat. He finished the Heat’s loss to the Timberwolves with 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the field, 1-of-5 shooting on threes and 6-of-7 shooting from the foul line, 13 rebounds, four assists and one steal in 43 minutes.
“I’m pretty cool with all the referees,” Adebayo continued. “That’s the thing. I’m not confrontational, but I am emotional when I’m out there because we’re fighting to get wins. Everybody does it. I’ve seen dudes really say some crazy stuff to referees and they don’t take them out. So I had the decency enough to wait until after the game to have my conversation because it’s like, ‘I want to have a conversation with you.’ That’s what you’re supposed to do as a man, face to face. But when you’re walking away and stuff like that, that’s just truly disrespectful and I feel like stuff should happen when they do that. Because when we get emotional and we walk away, we get [technicals] and we get fined and I think that’s crazy.”
FAMILY FESTIVAL
The Heat will host its 25th annual Family Festival on March 22 at Kaseya Center.
“This interactive, block party-style event benefits the Miami Heat Charitable Fund and allows attendees to meet and mingle with Heat players, coaches, and their families,” the Heat announced in a press release. “Heat fan favorites Burnie, the Miami Heat Dancers, the Heat Golden Oldies, and others will be in attendance as guests enjoy a host of activities. Guests can also indulge in complimentary food from more than 40 South Florida restaurants.”
To purchase tickets for the event, visit HeatFamilyFestival.com or call 786-218-2362.