With just three games total on the docket for tonight, all eyes were in Miami as the Heat took on the Toronto Raptors at Kaseya Center. After a rocky start to the season, and with Jimmy Butler trade rumors running wild, the Heat are in a complicated situation right now but they were still able to pull out a win and move to 13-10 on the season.
After a sluggish opening frame, the Heat found themselves down by 6 after the first 12 minutes but they quickly found a spark offensively which fueled a 35-24 second quarter. The Raptors always kept the game within striking distance but the Heat were able to cruise to a 114-104 victory relatively easily.
Tyler Herro was the star of the show for Miami with 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists on 69.2% shooting. He was a team-high +30 in 32:19 minutes of play. Bam Adebayo had 21 points and 16 rebounds in the frontcourt while shooting 8-17 from the field. Nikola Jovic led the Heat bench with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist on 4-5 shooting. Jimmy Butler had a relatively off night for his standards with just 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists on 3-8 shooting.
For the Raptors, Gradey Dick had an impressive showing in the loss with 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists on 42.1% shooting. Jakob Poeltl put up 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists on 58.3% shooting off the bench while RJ Barrett finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists on 5-18 shooting.
Against a Toronto Raptors team that is still in rebuild mode, it was the perfect opportunity for the Heat to test themselves and pick up a win to secure their place in the standings. While it was far from a perfect victory, it was enough for them to come out on the winning side while learning some key factors about their team that might help them win even more games going forward.
Breakout Season For Tyler Herro
The Miami Heat haven’t been entirely sold on Tyler Herro since he was drafted back in 2019. While his potential has always been high, streaky shooting and weak defensive coverage often held him back from making the most impact on the floor. Over the past few years, Herro has been involved in countless trade rumors since so many people view him as expendable.
But this season, Herro has quietly been the Heat’s most consistent offensive player. For the season, he’s averaging 24.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game on 47.7% shooting, and in this game he had one of his best matches yet with a stat line of 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists on 69.2% shooting.
In a game where Butler was struggling with his shot, the Heat needed someone to step up and Herro answered the call. At just 24, the shooting guard still has room to grow and develop his game but his strong play this season is a great sign for the future of the franchise.
Balanced Contributions Across the Roster
What the Miami Heat may lack in star power, they have in roster depth. In tonight’s win, the role-players made a massive difference and it showed just how much depth the Heat have in their rotation. Against the Raptors, Haywood Highsmith and Duncan Robinson combined to score 17 points to support the “big three.”
The bench contributed 42 points for the Heat and every single player who earned minutes put up at least 5 points or more. Even players like Dru Smith and Nikola Jovic made their impact felt with great plays on both ends of the floor.
So even on a night when Jimmy Butler was less than effective, the Heat were still able to win the game thanks to a well-balanced roster and a brilliant coach who knows just the right lineups to play.
Bam Adebayo Isolation Ball
With only 21 assists in the game, the Heat weren’t particularly passive tonight. In fact, as the Raptors were mounting a comeback late in the fourth quarter, the Heat relied on Bam Adebayo’s isolation scoring to carry them to the win.
The big man is not known for being a high-volume shooter but he went off in this game with 21 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists on 34:31 minutes of play. He dropped 13 points in the fourth quarter alone thanks to an aggressive mindset that had him constantly looking to score.
With averages of 16.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game his season, Bam has been steady in just about every category and his offensive game is more tuned than ever before. As we saw tonight, the Heat are relying heavily on Bam’s isolation scoring to close games for them and it’s working with great success for now.
This win has put the Heat at 8-3 in their last 11 games and it’s a great sign of their standing in the East this season. The fact that they’ve managed to do this amid all the Jimmy Butler drama is even more impressive given how distracting those things tend to be.
If the Heat keep going on this trajectory, some critics may have to re-evaluate their ranking among the top teams in the East this year.
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