Miami Heat: 2 key ‘teachable moment’ plays help heat lose to Toronto Raptors

The Miami Heat faced the Toronto Raptors in their second game of the NBA restart. Two key plays in the final moments may have made all the difference.

The Miami Heat came out a bit flat to start the game against the Toronto Raptors on Monday, the Miami Heat’s second contest after defeating Denver in their first on Saturday. To be frank, they remained rather flat for the most part, except Kelly Olynyk, until the second half.

Going down by at least 17 points during the third quarter, the Miami Heat would pull back to make the game close, fueled by a personal Goran Dragic run. Playing with a two to six-point gap for much of the fourth quarter, with both teams taking turns having the lead and although the Raptors led more, it really all boiled down to two key plays for the Miami Heat.

With two chances to go up with around 20 seconds or less to play in the game, the Miami Heat committed two key errors and turnovers. While there was an armbar placed on Jimmy Butler by Kyle Lowry in the first of them and a questionable steal attempt/shoulder thrust by Fred VanVleet on Goran Dragic in the second of them, we’ll stick to what Miami could have done better.

While all of the games matter again now, this is a teachable moment in what should still be considered a regular-season game. While you want to win every game you play, this moment is a learning tool moving forward and especially as we look to the playoffs where moments like this are all too common.

The Miami Heat fought back to give themselves a chance in Monday’s game against Toronto. Even in defeat, there were ‘teachable moments’ they can use going forward.

The Miami Heat have to be more precise in their spacing, passing, and playcalling in general in these moments if they want to win these types of gut it out, back and forth, all grit contests. They struggled to hit shots from the start, which contributed to the deficit in the first place but if you are going to fight back from 17 down, why not get it done and win the game!

Being better on one of those key plays, preferably BOTH, could have been all it took to change the outcome of the game. It was such a tough contest, the one you love to see as a fan and also the one that you most hate to lose.

The Miami Heat led the season series 2-0 until this game and that is alright that they now lead 2-1. There is no more time to wallow in the sorrow of this defeat though, as they have to get their minds together to do it all over again tomorrow.

The Miami Heat face the Boston Celtics on Tuesday at 6:30 PM Eastern and we can’t wait. Hopefully, the shots fall in that one from the beginning and the Heat don’t find themselves in similar circumstances as Monday’s game but they inevitably will as they progress through the rest of the seeding games and playoffs.

That is why I believe that although the defeat, especially one that happened like this, hurts, the final two Miami Heat turnover sequences are teachable moments they can definitely use to be better moving forward.