This is not just a Shaqtin’ a Fool candidate, this one goes in the Hall of Fame. With less than a minute remaining and the Heat leading 101-100, Kevin Martin hit a go-ahead jumper for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Instead of simply inbounding the ball and looking to regain the lead on the other end, Norris Cole and Hassan Whiteside momentarily forgot how to play basketball.
Norris Cole picked up the ball and tossed it in to Hassan Whiteside. Whiteside then handed the ball to Cole after he stepped in bounds. Rather than proceed upcourt, Cole for some idiotic reason told Whiteside to go out of bounds and inbound the ball to him again.
Once Whiteside followed those orders, Cole flipped him the ball, which caused a turnover because Whiteside touched the ball while out of bounds.
The Heat had a chance to win the game with a full shot clock and then committed that heinous blunder. Whiteside was charged with the turnover which sucks because he had his second 20/20 game of season, logging 24 points and 20 rebounds.
While Minnesota wasn’t able to extend its lead on its ensuing possession, the turnover cost Miami valuable seconds on the clock. Martin’s jumper ultimately stood as the game-winner, with neither team managing to score before the end of regulation.
The Timberwolves beat the Heat 102-101.
