The Miami Heat would try to remain perfect on their road trip as they played the second of three games in Toronto. It went exactly how we thought it would.
The Miami Heat traveled to the home of the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday evening as underdogs to face the second-best team in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, record-wise. What would proceed and make this game just that much tougher is the fact that it was the second game of a three-game road trip for the Heat team.
Although the first game was one that saw the Heat get a win in Brooklyn on Sunday, which did give the Heat a day off for rest, the imminent second half of a Tuesday/Wednesday back to back will take place on Wednesday in Boston. While the Celtics will be their task on Wednesday, there was more immediate business to handle on Tuesday, and handle it they did.
The game started out with a certain pace to it, a back and forth affair between two teams that appeared to be ready for the moment and this game. It was a very close game throughout. The Miami Heat never really could get or take a big lead for stretches, while the case was the same for the Toronto Raptors.
While the Heat were up around six or seven points within the last four minutes of the game, Norman Powell of the Toronto Raptors hit a controversial three-pointer to give them a one-point lead. He appeared to be out of bounds while shooting the shot and the play was reviewed for such purposes, although they would hold up the ruling on the supposed account of inconclusive evidence.
Jimmy Butler then did what he does, which is to force the issue and press the basket, more often than not drawing fouls and free throws on the way. He did so with the Heat down one point, but only hit one of the free throws as well. The Heat made a stop, before eventually getting a look at a final shot that saw Jimmy Butler come up just long on a three-point attempt.
Overtime was The Jimmy Butler Show though, on top of the triple-double he had already accrued. He dominated it from the start with eight straight points to begin the period. He would finish with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists.
The Raptors never really were able to grapple control back from the open of the extra period. This eventually saw the Miami Heat get the win, 121-110. Here are a few other key takeaways from the game though.
- Bam Adebayo was extremely effective on Pascal Siakam. Siakam was held to just 15 points, tied for his second-lowest scoring total of the season, on 5-14 overall shooting and 0-2 from deep.
- Justise Winslow seems back to himself after missing time with the concussion issue
- Kendrick Nunn is very streaky, mostly on the off-side of things against better teams it seems.
- Coach Spoelstra gave Nunn too much rope on Tuesday, should have gotten Duncan Robinson back in the game to close it on both attempts.
- The Justise Winslow, Jimmy Butler, Duncan Robinson, Bam Adebayo unit is one I would love to see more. Five-spot is pretty interchangeable with who’s having the better night.
As mentioned earlier, the Miami Heat are right back at it on Wednesday against the Celtics. That should be another great game, while we will see if the Heat can get their first win on the second night of a back to back set all season.