In a match which reminded to a European one, with low scoring and tough defenses, the Miami Heat took down Toronto Raptors, 84-76. The hosts had more gas in the tank, and they crushed the resistance of the guests in the last period.
The Raptors were one point behind just 1:34 into the last period, but the Heat created an 8-0 run at first, and shortly after that had another seven straight points without an answer on the other side.
In one of the most defensive-minded games of the year, Miami had more composure and luck. Its players had more nerves in the critical moments, and they held the champs at just 16 points in the last period, which is amazing.
“It was all about defense,” Dragic said. “We feel like we play a great team defense, we help each other. Most of the time, we were in zone. A great team win, let’s go to the next one.”
The Raptors shot 31.5% from the field, 28-of-89, and were terrible from downtown with six hits in 42 attempts. The three-pointers were, in fact, the main reason why they lost, as we all know that Nurse’s team has excellent percentages and is one of the best crews in the league when talking about this aspect of the game.
Kyle Lowery was a bit disappointed with the way his team played, and especially how they shot the ball.
“If we make five more 3s, we win the game,” Lowry said.
Toronto Raptors’ point guard was one of the worst on the court when it comes to three-pointers, He was 2-for-12 from downtown, and Fred VanVleet was even worse with 1-of-11. The two driving forces in Toronto’s machinery utterly failed to meet expectations in Florida.
“They didn’t make much more than us, but they made just enough to get the win, so give those guys credit,” said Van Vleet.
He had 7 points, with 6 assists, and 4 boards, while Lowry ended the night with 15 buckets, 8 assists, and 4 boards. OG Anunoby posted a double-double with 12 points and 12 boards, along with 2 steals.
Serge Ibaka had a team-high with 19 buckets and 10 rebounds, and he too couldn’t hit at least one long-distance shot, missing all four of them.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson came off the bench and scored 13 points, adding 7 rebounds.
On the other side, Bam Adebayo had a team-high with just 15 points. The strong center added 14 boards, missing one of his 8 shots from the field in 35 minutes. He was the sole player from the Heat’s starting lineup with a double-digit number of points.
However, the bench was marvelous in this one. Tyler Herro and Goran Dragic both added 13 points each, while Derrick Jones Jr., scored 10.
Jimmy Butler had 8, but was all over the court in other aspects of the game, grabbing 12 boards and 7 assists.
Up next, the Heat play against the Brooklyn Nets this Saturday. On the other side, the Heat are having a state derby against the Orlando Magic on Friday.
