The Miami Heat fell to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night with a 121-95 score, officially clinching them into the Play-In tournament which kicks off on April 14. The Raptors have been one of the more surprising teams in the Eastern Conference this season as they currently sit as the No. 6 seed in the standings. The Heat won their last matchup on Saturday against the Washington Wizards and put up 152 points but they didn't continue the high scoring output on Tuesday.
For the Heat, Andrew Wiggins was the leading points scorer with 24 points along with five rebounds. This is his second game surpassing the 20-point marker since returning to the lineup on March 23. He missed eight games due to a toe injury. Following Wiggins in terms of points scored were Tyler Herro and Norman Powell, who both finished with 14 points. Herro has been sidelined for much of the season but when he is on the court, he has been scoring at an elite level. Powell returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing the last four games due to an illness. He came off the bench. Every player on the team finished with a below plus-minus except for Kasparas Jakucionis, who finished with a +1 off the bench.
Miami ran with a steep 13-man rotation, given the Raptors were in control for most of the game. As a team, the Heat shot 49 percent from the field, 43 percent from three-point range and 69 percent from the free throw line. Bam Adebayo, Wiggins and Herro led the team in minutes. The Heat were outscored by Toronto in every quarter. Simone Fontecchio, Dru Smith and Nikola Jovic did not play Tuesday night.
For the Raptors, Scottie Barnes led the team in scoring with 25 points with Brandon Ingram following him with 23 points. They continue to shock most of the NBA with their 44-35 record. The Heat will continue to stick in Toronto as they face off against the Raptors again on Thursday night. The Heat will look to improve upon their 41-38 record but their Play-In status is basically confirmed at this point of the season.
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