Takeaways and details from Heat’s road win over Raptors, as defense comes alive in second half
Five takeaways from the Miami Heat’s 112-103 win over the Toronto Raptors (9-12) on Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena. After the quick single-game trip, the Heat (12-9) now returns to Miami for a quick one-game stop at home on Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers: The Heat’s defense has not been good in recent games. But the Heat’s defense was excellent when it mattered most in Toronto. The Heat was without Bam Adebayo (left hip contusion), Tyler Herro (right ankle sprain), Haywood Highsmith (lower back contusion), R.J. Hampton (right knee sprain), Dru Smith (right ACL injury) and Cole Swider (G League) against the Raptors. That long injury list includes three members of the Heat’s preferred starting lineup: Adebayo, Herro and Highsmith. The injury-
depleted Heat still found a way to earn the win against a middling Raptors team behind a strong second-half defensive effort. The Heat’s defense was the catalyst behind the victory after a rough defensive showing in a wild first half that was dominated by the two offenses. The Heat and Raptors combined for 18 made threes, 40 assists and just five turnovers in the first two quarters.
But after exploding for 66 points on 53.5 percent shooting from the field and 8-of-16 (50 percent) shooting from three-point range in the first half, the Raptors were limited to just 37 points on 14-of-43 (32.6 percent) shooting from the field and 6-of-21 (28.6 percent) shooting on threes in the second half. Toronto also committed 11
turnovers in the second half. The Heat entered the fourth quarter ahead by just three points and totaled 25 points on 40.9 percent shooting from the field and 2-of-9 (22.2 percent) shooting from behind the arc in the final period. The Heat survived those underwhelming late-game offensive numbers because it held the Raptors to 19 points on 29.6 percent shooting from the field and 3-of-11 (27.3 percent) shooting from three-point range in the fourth quarter.
