The Miami Heat improved their 2011/12 NBA season record to 4-0 (second time in franchise history), defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 103-101 on Dec. 30.

The Heat came out strong against the Timberwolves, but a poor second quarter performance brought Minnesota back into the game. Miami regained control of the contest in the third quarter, but the Timberwolves refused to go down without a fight.

The Timberwolves actually had a three point lead with a little over a minute left in the game, but a strong move to the rim by LeBron James—who was fouled during the play—gave them a chance to tie up the contest. LeBron made the ensuing free throw, setting the stage for some final minute heroics.

Once again, Dwyane Wade who finished with 19 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds, stepped up when the Heat needed him the most, finishing a LeBron lob with a layup and giving Miami the two point lead. The Timberwolves had one last chance to tie up the game, but Wayne Ellington’s jumper bounced off the rim.

“I’m glad we played them early because later they’re going to be trouble,” Wade told reporters after the game. “So I think Timberwolves fans will have something to cheer about for a while here.”

Birthday Celebrant, LeBron had another dominant performance for the Heat, finishing with 34 points (game high), 10 assists and 8 rebounds. Chris Bosh also had a solid outing, putting up 20 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.

Norris Cole and Udonis Haslem scored the Heat’s only points off the bench. Cole put up 12 points and 4 assists, while Haslem finished with 9 points and 9 rebounds.

Miami’s next game will be on Jan. 1, when they host the Charlotte Bobcats at the American Airlines Arena. The Bobcats gave the Heat a tough contest on Dec. 28, and the next encounter between the two teams should be just as entertaining.

David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 15 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.

Sources:

Associated Press, “Late LeBron James-to-Dwyane Wade alley-oop secures Heat…”

Player and game information from ESPN

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade was in the starting lineup
against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night after being considered a
game-time decision with a sore left foot.

Wade tested his foot both at the team’s morning shootaround and before the
game to determine if he was ready to play. The injury bothered him in the game
at Charlotte on Wednesday, but not enough to prevent him from making the
game-winning shot to keep the Heat undefeated.

For the Timberwolves, veteran guard J.J. Barea missed the game with a
strained right hamstring. Barea hopes to return Sunday against the Dallas
Mavericks, his former team.

Second-round draft pick Malcolm Lee had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in
his left knee on Friday. He is expected to miss six weeks.

The air of invincibility that had permeated the Miami Heat’s first two games was absent at the start. In its place was a quick 11-0 deficit.

Dwyane Wade then was absent at the start of the second half with a foot injury.

Gone, but not forgotten.

Regaining his legs, or at least enough of them, Wade banked in a short shot with 2.9 seconds to play to close out the scoring in a 96-95 victory on Wednesday night over the Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.

It was a somewhat surprising finish, one achieved after a Gerald Henderson three-pointer with 12.2 seconds to play had put the Bobcats up by one, because it was Wade who was designated as the go-to guy on a night LeBron James led the Heat with 35 points.

Wade, who had bruised his left foot and missed the first 10 minutes of the third period, was four of 12 from the field before his game-winner.

“When he called it,” Wade said of coach Erik Spoelstra’s instructions, “I was surprised, because LeBron had it going.”

Wade, in fact, was about to tell Spoelstra that it should be James’ play, then decided he was up to the moment.

Barely, with his left foot throbbing.

“I had no lift,” the veteran guard said, “that’s why I shot-putted it.”

For most of the night, it appeared the Heat had no lift, falling behind by 16 in the first half, then losing Wade at the start of the third quarter.

But there was enough in support to push the record to 3-0, from James, who also had seven assists and six rebounds, to 25 points on eight-of-13 shooting from forward Chris Bosh, to a needed 15-point outing from point guard Mario Chalmers and lockdown defense from Shane Battier in his longest outing of the season.

“You’ve got to win some of these games ugly,” Spoelstra said. “We settled down.”

The Heat held the Bobcats to 10 third-quarter points to get back into it and then rode the aggression of Bosh and James in the fourth until Wade had his moment.

Wade’s moment came after both he and James botched dunks, although James’s attempt should have counted since it bounced off Gerald Henderson’s head and back out after clearing the rim. James joked he would appeal to the league for his lost points.

But with the game on the line, it was Wade’s to win or lose.

Spoelstra said it was not because of Wade’s clutch reputation or James’s fourth-quarter struggles that had carried over to this season, but rather because he saw an opening on the same set that seconds earlier had resulted in a Wade turnover.

“We saw him able to put the ball on the floor,” Spoelstra said. “He had a rough night at times, but he saw a gap he could get into.”

The game ended with a missed three-point attempt by Bobcats guard D.J. Augustin.

“It’s good to see us show some resolve, some toughness,” Spoelstra said.

That resolve and toughness arrived when needed most.

“The first half,” James said, “wasn’t Miami Heat basketball.”

The Heat entered having trailed just 14 seconds this season. That figure grew exponentially, with Charlotte bolting to that 11-0 lead, moving ahead 32-20 after the first quarter and 60-45 at halftime.

Playing on the second night of their first back-to-back set of the season, the Heat hardly had the legs that powered a dazzling transition attack in the season-opening victories over the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics.

With Wade out at the start of the third quarter, James decided it had to be his style of basketball, consistently attacking the rim.

“I decided to add a little bit more,” he said, continuing his torrid scoring start to the season.

In the end, though, he stood aside, waiting and watching Wade win it.

“I guess,” James said with a grin, “that’s why they pay him the big bucks.”

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In Photo: Dwyane Wade elevates for a clear shot against Charlottes’ Bismack Biyombo, while the Heat’s Udonis Haslem and the Bobcats’ Byron Mullens look on. (AP)

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CHARLOTTE, N.C.—

The air of invincibility that had permeated the Miami Heat’s first two games was absent at the start. In its place was a quick 11-0 deficit.

Dwyane Wade then was absent at the start of the second half with a foot injury.

Gone, but not forgotten.

Regaining his legs, or at least enough of them, Wade banked in a short push shot with 2.9 seconds to play to close out the scoring in a 96-95 victory Wednesday night over the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena.

It was a somewhat surprising finish, one achieved after a Gerald Henderson 3-pointer with 12.2 seconds to play had put the Bobcats up by one, because it was Wade who was designated as the go-to guy on a night LeBron James led the Heat with 35 points.

Wade, who had bruised his left foot and missed the first 10 minutes of the third period, was 4 of 12 from the field before his game-winning play.

“When he called it,” Wade said of coach Erik Spoelstra’s instructions, “I was surprised, because LeBron had it going.”

Wade, in fact, was about to tell Spoelstra that it should be James’ play, then decided he was up to the moment.

Barely, with his left foot throbbing.

“I had no lift,” the veteran guard said, “that’s why I shot-putted it.”

For most of the night, it appeared the Heat had no lift, falling behind by 16 in the first half, then losing Wade at the start of the third quarter.

But there was enough in support to push the record to 3-0, from James’ 35 points, seven assists and six rebounds, to 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting from forward Chris Bosh, to a needed 15-point outing from point guard Mario Chalmers and lockdown defense from Shane Battier in his longest outing of the season.

“You’ve got to win some of these games ugly,” Spoelstra said. “We settled down.”

The Heat held the Bobcats to 10 third-quarter points to get back into it and then rode the aggression of Bosh and James in the fourth until Wade had his moment.

Wade’s moment came after both he and James botched dunks, although James’ attempt should have counted since it bounced off Henderson’s head and back out after clearing the rim. James joked he would appeal to the league for his lost points.

But with the game on the line, it was Wade’s to win or lose.

Spoelstra said it was not because of Wade’s clutch reputation, or James’ fourth-quarter struggles that had carried over to this season, but rather because he saw an opening on the same set that seconds earlier had resulted in a Wade turnover.

“We saw him able to put the ball on the floor,” Spoelstra said. “He had a rough night at times, but he saw a gap he could get into.”

The game ended with a missed 3-point attempt by Bobcats guard D.J. Augustin and then a wayward follow-up attempt by Bobcats forward D.J. White that was ruled after the buzzer.

“It’s good to see us show some resolve, some toughness,” Spoelstra said.

That resolve and toughness arrived when needed most.

“The first half,” James said, “wasn’t Miami Heat basketball.”

The Heat entered having trailed just 14 seconds this season. That figure grew exponentially, with Charlotte bolting to that 11-0 lead, moving ahead 32-20 after the first quarter and 60-45 at halftime.

Playing on the second night of their first back-to-back set of the season, the Heat hardly had the legs that powered a dazzling transition attack in the season-opening victories over the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics.

With Wade out at the start of the third quarter, James decided it had to be his style of basketball, consistently attacking the rim.

“I decided to add a little bit more,” he said, continuing his torrid scoring start to the season.

In the end, though, he stood aside, waiting and watching Wade win it.

“I guess,” James said with a grin, “that’s why they pay him the big bucks.”

iwinderman@tribune.com. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat