Postgame Grades: Miami Heat fall to Toronto Raptors
By Frank Urbina
The Miami Heat, coming off a three day layoff, traveled to Toronto and were defeated 96-87 by a tough Raptors squad.
87. 110. Final. 96. 81
The Heat struggled to find good offense and consistent defense tonight, and although it may have felt like a disappointing effort, the young team was going up against a Raptors side that has legitimate expectations to contend for the Eastern Conference. Miami would have needed near perfect execution to steal the game on the road, and it simply didn’t come to fruition.
The first half started off well for Miami, as they were able to find efficient shots and get out in transition. They took an early 12 point lead and the Raptors seemed shell-shocked.
However, once Terrence Ross checked in, the tides quickly turned in Toronto’s favor. He torched the Heat in the first half to the tune of 16 points, and was a +15 in his time on the court. Toronto went on a 22-7 run as a result.
If it weren’t for Tyler Johnson also starting off the game hot, scoring 13 points and 3 threes by halftime, the game may have gotten out of hand even sooner for Miami. Aside from Johnson, however, the Heat didn’t get much else out of their bench, and they quickly saw their lead evaporate and become a 6-point deficit at half.
The second half belonged to Toronto’s star shooting guard Demar Derozan, who had 22 points after the break, and 34 for the game. No matter who Miami threw at him (Justise Winslow, James Johnson and Dion Waiters all got their turns), he was able to score with relative ease. Whether he was making runners, tough jumpers over good defense, or forcing fouls to get to the free throw line, Derozan was scoring almost at will.
Every time it felt like the Heat were a stop away from getting back into the game, Derozan would nail a shot to take back momentum for his team, which is what star players do. His efforts were doubly important because Kyle Lowry, Toronto’s other all-star, had an off night (13 points on 15 shot attempts, and 5 turnovers).
The Heat were able to cut the lead to 3 to end the third quarter, thanks in part to a surprising 9 point outburst by James Johnson. The run was short-lived though, as Toronto quickly extended the lead back to 10, thanks to a stifling defense that didn’t allow Miami a FG for over four minutes.
By the time Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside checked back in halfway through the final quarter, it was too late for the team to make a run, and Miami suffered their 3rd loss of the season. The Heat missed 10 of their last 12 three-point attempts.
It was a disappointing effort for most of the team; we’ll go into detail as we take a look at their grades for the game:
D +. Winslow had a rough night. He shot a miserable 5/18 from the field, and finished with 13 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists. The fact that he had to defend Derozan, who was averaging 36 points coming into tonight, probably didn’t help. Winslow seemed to be worn out by having to defend an all-star caliber player, while also being expected to run the offense with the second unit. He clearly felt the burden to get something going once Miami’s offense stagnated, and he began to force tough shots, whether they be contested jumpers or layups in heavy traffic. Nothing worked for him, and it was a night to forget for the young forward.. SF. Miami Heat. JUSTISE WINSLOW
Miami Heat. HASSAN WHITESIDE. A -. It was another big night statistically for Whiteside, as he finished the game with 21 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists and a block. He had his way with Toronto’s frontcourt on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he held Jonas Valanciunas to 5 points, most of which came once the game was already decided. If it weren’t for the Heat’s big man, the final outcome would have been even uglier for Miami.. C
C. Dragic started off hot, but, like the rest of the team, cooled off rather quickly. He had 13 first half points, to go along with 2 assists, but managed only 4 more points the rest of the way, finishing with 17 total. Miami’s offense seemed to really bog down as Toronto packed the paint and forced the Heat to settle for jumpers. Goran especially couldn’t get much going towards the rim. He had four turnovers for the game, and was basically nonexistent when Miami needed him most. It wasn’t a good night for the Slovenian PG.. PG. Miami Heat. GORAN DRAGIC
B. Tyler Johnson was on fire as soon as he entered the game, scoring 13 points in the first half, and nailing 3 three-pointers. It seemed like Johnson was headed for a career night. However, much like Dragic, he cooled off completely in the second half, and finished with 16 points total. Miami’s bench has been getting outplayed so badly that despite TJ playing lights out in the first half, he was still a -12 in the opening two periods thanks to the poor play by the rest of the second unit. Johnson played well defensively, especially considering he had to guard an all-star in Kyle Lowry for most of the night. He finished with 2 blocks and 3 steals.. PG/SG. Miami Heat. TYLER JOHNSON
SG. Miami Heat. DION WAITERS. D. Dion Waiters had a flat-out bad performance tonight. He shot 2/8 from the field and was a -16 while on the floor. Defensively, Derozan was scoring on him like he wasn’t even there. Once Terrence Ross checked in, he also had a pretty easy time getting open against the Heat’s SG. It’s a major positive for Miami that Josh Richardson came back tonight, as he can take some of the load off of Waiters. His play will level out once he doesn’t have to play as many minutes.
Miami Heat. JAMES JOHNSON. C -. James Johnson was well on his way to another low grade for his performance tonight, but his 9 point, 1 assist outburst in the third quarter helped Miami get back into the game. Though the run was short-lived and Toronto pulled away again quickly, he showed effectiveness at getting to the rim, both in the half-court and in transition, and he even hit a corner three. On the other end, Johnson’s versatility defensively didn’t do much for the Heat tonight, as he wasn’t able to bother Derozan at all.. PF
Josh Richardson saw his first action of the season, though his rustiness clearly showed: he went scoreless, didn’t have an assist, and finished with two turnovers in 11 minutes. Luke Babbitt went 1/5, had 3 points, and 5 rebounds.
Next up, Miami travels to Chesapeake Arena to face off with Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tip-off is at 8 PM.