The Miami Heat’s late-season slide continued Thursday night with a 128-114 loss to the Toronto Raptors at Kaseya Center, their third defeat in as many meetings with Toronto this year.
The Raptors opened a 19-point halftime cushion and stretched the margin to 26 in the third quarter, leaving Miami to chase the game the rest of the way. Head coach Erik Spoelstra had spoken pre-game about restoring pride after an earlier blowout against the same opponent, but the same problems resurfaced: sluggish starts, rebounding lapses and stalled offense.
Recurring issues
• Toronto held a 19-5 edge in second-chance points during the first half.
• Miami’s offense struggled against packed paint defenses, forcing tougher shots and limiting rim attacks.
Lineup and rotation notes
The starting group of Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larsson, Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell dropped to 4-7 together. Sixth man Norman Powell remained on the bench while managing a groin injury, leaving Spoelstra’s rotation unsettled with the postseason play-in round looming.
Standings and schedule
The Heat fell to 41-38 but still occupy the 10th and final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. Miami closes the regular season with a back-to-back, beginning Friday in Washington. The club is 12-4 in such sets this season, though recent form has raised concern with the play-in tournament less than a week away.
Source: Hoops Wire
