MIAMI — Five takeaways from the Miami Heat’s 112-109 win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night at FTX Arena. The Heat hosts the Raptors again on Monday to close its season-opening four-game homestand:
Even after a shaky second half, the Heat turned in its best offensive performance of the young season to pick up its first win after an 0-2 start.
Miami’s offense was so efficient at the start that it still finished with impressive numbers despite a rough finish. The Heat ended the night with 112 points on 49.4 percent shooting from the field, 11-of-30 (36.7 percent) shooting from three-point range and 25-of-27 shooting from the foul line.
The tone was set in the first quarter, when the Heat scored 38 points on 12-of-19 (63.2 percent) shooting from the field, 6-of-9 (66.7 percent) shooting from three-point range and 8-of-8 shooting from the foul line. It’s the Heat’s highest scoring quarter of the season through the first three games.
The Heat didn’t cool off in the second quarter, following up a 38-point first quarter with a 33-point period to enter halftime in full control with a 71-50 lead. Miami only scored more than 70 points in a half five times last season.
Miami’s offense didn’t have a perfect night, though. In the third quarter, the Heat scored just 21 points on 7-of-18 (38.9 percent) from the field and 1-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc to allow the Raptors to win the period 33-21 and claw back into the game.
The Heat’s then scored just 20 points in the fourth quarter.
The Heat still finished with an offensive rating of 120.4 points scored per 100 possessions on Saturday.
This is much better than the offensive rating it posted through its first two games of 106 points scored per 100 possessions, which entered Saturday ranked seventh-worst in the NBA.
The Heat’s offense lacked it’s usual ball movement and three-point volume during its 0-2 start. Miami entered Saturday with an assist percentage of 55.7 percent (ranked ninth lowest in the NBA) and averaging 27 three-point shots per 100 possessions (fifth-fewest in the NBA).
But the Heat went back to the offensive formula of ball movement and threes that has worked so well in recent seasons, finishing Saturday’s win with an assist percentage of 73.7 percent and a season-high in three-point attempts (30).
But the Heat’s efficient offensive display doesn’t mean the win came easy.
The Heat led by 24 points with 8:02 left in the third quarter, but the Raptors responded with a 26-11 run to close the period. That cut Miami’s lead to just nine entering the fourth quarter.
The Raptors kept hanging around in the fourth quarter, too.
The Heat pulled ahead by eight points with 41 seconds to play, but the Raptors scored five quick unanswered points to trim the deficit to just three points with 13.7 seconds left.
Toronto then intentionally fouled Butler, who made one of two free throws to extend Miami’s lead to four and make it a two possession game with 10.2 seconds to play. The Raptors scored one more point on a free throw from Precious Achiuwa to again cut the deficit to three with 2.9 seconds left, but ran out of time.
Toronto actually won the second half, 59-41. But the Heat’s 21-point advantage in the first half was too much for the Raptors to overcome and complete the comeback.
The Raptors showed fight without one of their best players, as rising star Scottie Barnes exited Saturday’s contest in the second quarter because of a sprained right ankle.
Without Barnes for most of the way, Toronto was led by 23-point performances from both Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent Jr.
The Heat’s win included a brawl that ejected two players from the game.
With 7:46 left in the third quarter, Heat forward Caleb Martin and Raptors forward Chrisian Koloko battled for a rebound before Koloko fell to the court and Martin was called for a loose ball foul.
But that was just the beginning, as Martin stood over Koloko and looked to taunt him. When Koloko stood up and got in Martin’s face, Martin slammed Koloko into the first row of seats behind the basket and next to the Heat’s bench.
Players and coaches from both teams sprinted over in an effort to break the fight up, and Martin and Koloko were ultimately separated.
The officials reviewed the incident and called technical fouls on Martin and Koloko. Both players were ejected.
It marked the second ejection of Martin’s NBA career. He recorded eight points on 3-of-8 shooting from the field, five rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes before leaving Saturday’s victory.
The question now becomes will Martin and/or Koloko be suspended or fined for their fight?
The Heat and Raptors face off again on Monday to close their set of back-to-back games against each other at FTX Arena.
Max Strus isn’t starting, but he’s still playing a big role for the Heat off the bench.
Strus closed Saturday’s win with 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 shooting on threes, five rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes. It’s the second time in the first three games that he has scored at least 20 points in a reserve role.
Although Strus played as a starter during last season’s Heat playoff run that ended in the Eastern Conference finals, he’s familiar with coming off the bench. Strus has started in just 16 of the 112 regular-season games he has appeared in during his NBA career.
And even though Strus isn’t starting anymore, he has played plenty. He’s averaging the most minutes among Heat reserves through the first three games at 30.3 minutes per game.
The Heat shortened its bench rotation on Saturday, using four reserves: Strus, Gabe Vincent, Dewayne Dedmon and Duncan Robinson. The Heat went with a 10-man rotation in the first two that included Haywood Highsmith as the fifth reserve used.
But Highsmith did not play against the Raptors.
Miami remained without guard Victor Oladipo (left knee tendinosis) and center Omer Yurtseven (left ankle impingement) on Saturday. They were the only Heat players unavailable against the Raptors.
Heat point guard Kyle Lowry earned another win over his former team.
Lowry, who spent nine straight seasons in Toronto before joining the Heat in the 2021 offseason played against his former team for the second time since coming to Miami. He’s now 2-0 in those games.
On Saturday, Lowry finished with 17 points while shooting 5 of 11 from the field and 3 of 7 on threes, two rebounds and six assists.
Lowry is considered one of the greatest players in Raptors history and more than a few of his former teammates are still with the Raptors. He playfully jawed with those familiar faces throughout the game, including Raptors point guard and close friend Fred VanVleet.
Lowry only played in one game against the Raptors in his first season with the Heat because he missed the teams’ first three matchups last season due to personal reasons.
Saturday represented another encouraging performance from the 36-year-old Lowry after a quiet start. After scoring just two points on 1-of-7 shooting from the field in the Heat’s season opening loss to the Chicago Bulls, Lowry has totaled 34 points, six rebounds and assists in two games since that two-point night.
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