Heat Target Wednesday To Get Six Regulars Back

By the Heat Nightly Desk · Monday, October 12

The Timberwolves loss is already filed: a 124-125 defeat decided when Ryan Conwell's buzzer three rimmed out, with the bench outscoring the starters 71-53. Six regulars, including Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo, are now targeted to return Wednesday against the Nets, the next test before the real opener on October 21.

Heat Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Nothing New Overnight

No fresh transaction or injury change has landed since the Timberwolves loss finished processing. The result stands at 124-125, a game with 19 lead changes and 8 ties that ended with Conwell's 26-foot pullup rimming out as time expired.

Six Regulars Targeted

Pelle Larsson, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Klay Thompson, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Davion Mitchell were all held out for rest against Minnesota, and all six carry an estimated return of October 14. That lines up with the Nets preseason game at home, the next stop before Miami visits Orlando on October 16 and opens the regular season by hosting the Timberwolves again on October 21, this time on ESPN.

Fontecchio's Efficiency

One number stands out away from the box score noise: Simone Fontecchio's true shooting over his last 10 games sits at 70.8 percent, well clear of his season figure. The sample is still small, three preseason games deep, but it is the most efficient stretch of his Heat tenure so far.

Bottom Line

Wednesday is the first real chance to see whether Erik Spoelstra's regulars look sharper after the rest, or whether the bench group that nearly beat Minnesota keeps forcing its way into real minutes before the opener.

When do the Heat play next?

Miami hosts the Brooklyn Nets on October 14 in its fourth preseason game, with a trip to Orlando on October 16 before the regular-season opener on October 21.

Will Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo play against the Nets?

Both are projected to return October 14 after sitting out the Timberwolves game for rest, along with four other regulars targeted for the same date.