On Saturday, Naz Reid once again provided much of the bench production for the Minnesota Timberwolves in their 125-115 victory over the Miami Heat. He finished the win with 29 points (the other three reserves who played combined for 11) to go along with four rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.
Naz Reid 29 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 2 BLK, 10/15 FG, 4/7 3FG, 84.3% TS vs Heat https://t.co/SsF5TkBAhp pic.twitter.com/X2xIMjuSpD
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) January 4, 2026
The outing continued what has been a trend for Naz throughout this season. If he plays quite well when the team wins, and if he goes through more struggles when the team takes an L.
Naz Reid shows out in wins, not so much in losses
Saturday’s victory improved the Timberwolves’ record to 22-13. Through 35 games (with all of them coming off the bench), Reid has yet to miss one for Minnesota.
There is a stark difference in the 26-year-old’s play in wins when compared to how he performs in losses. In the 22 triumphs, Reid is posting averages of 16.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. In victories, Reid is shooting 50.6 percent from the field, 41.9 percent from beyond the arc, and 87.2 percent from the foul line.
In the 13 losses, Reid’s averages dip across the board, and they dip quite a bit. In defeats, Reid is averaging 10.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. His efficiency drops substantially as well, with shooting splits of 36.7/28.0/68.8.
Saturday also marked Reid’s sixth outing this season of 20-plus points. Minnesota is undefeated when he hits that 20-point threshold. Remarkably, each of those games has resulted in a double-digit point win for the Timberwolves.
Big differences when compared to last season
A lot can change in just one season. In 2024-25, Reid finished fifth in Sixth Man of the Year voting (won the award in the 2023-24 season). His impact, particularly on the offensive end, was matched by few players who mostly came off the bench.
He totaled 19 games of at least 20 points. The difference from this season to last? The Timberwolves went just 8-11 in those contests. Reid actually averaged 2.5 more points in his 33 appearances that came in losses than he did in the 47 games that he played and the team won.
Every season isn't the same. The Timberwolves need Reid to do well because there is nobody else on Minnesota's bench who has been reliable on a nightly basis. Last season, in addition to Reid, Minnesota rostered Nickeil Alexander-Walker and also had Donte DiVincenzo coming off the bench.