The league- worst Minnesota Timberwolves (5-29) ended their eight-game losing streak with a 101-91 victory over the struggling Miami Heat on Tuesday evening, as Rashad McCants scored 27 points and Al Jefferson finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Winning their first game since December 21, the Timberwolves leaded the visiting Eastern Conference-worst Heat (8-27) to their eighth consecutive loss.

"We all prepared for this game tonight," McCants said. "We knew if we wanted to turn this thing around we needed to start with a win somewhere."

Marko Jaric had 17 points and eight assists for Minnesota, which won its only second game in the last 16.

"We made up out minds yesterday, after a great practice, we were going to get this win and we did," Jefferson said.

As Miami Heat played its sixth game without Shaquille O’Neal due to his left hip bursitis, Dwayne Wade scored 25 points and forward Daecquan Cook nailed 15 points, sending their team to its longest slide since loosing 12 games in a row in the 2001-02 season.

"We miss him a lot," said Heat forward Daecquan Cook. "For him to be gone right now is kind of tough, but we've have to persevere and get over that. We have to keep working hard."

Miami managed to come as close to 97-91 of Minnesota with 2:39 ahead of the buzzer, after it was led by 13, thanks to Wade’s consecutive layups, but Jefferson answered with a layup and Jaric nailed a 20-foot jumper after Wade missed a three- pointer, helping the Timberwolves win their first game in 2008.

"When teams make a run, instead of us putting our heads down, we hit back," Jefferson said.