Five takeaways from the Miami Heat’s 106-96 loss to the Toronto Raptors (16-11) on Monday night at Kaseya Center to drop its fifth straight game. The Heat (14-12) now enters a two-day break before hitting the road to begin a three-game trip on Thursday against the Nets in Brooklyn:
The Heat and Raptors both started the season fast, but both have also struggled recently with each team entering Monday’s matchup on a four-game losing skid. But it was the Heat that lost its fifth straight game on Monday.
It was a sloppy first half, as both the Heat and Raptors committed 11 turnovers in the first two quarters. The Heat led by as many as 11 points in the first before entering halftime with a six-point advantage.
The Heat and Raptors continued to go back and forth in a third quarter that featured two lead changes and five ties. But after the Raptors pulled ahead by four points with 2:24 left in the third quarter, the Heat closed the period on a 9-2 run to enter the fourth quarter with a three-point lead.
That’s when the Heat’s offense went cold, as the Raptors opened the fourth quarter on a 17-4 run to build a 10-point advantage and take control of the game with 7:31 to play.
The Heat made a late run to cut the deficit to four points with 1:28 left in the fourth quarter.
But the Raptors responded to seal the win, as guard Jamal Shead drove past Heat guard Norman Powell to make a 7-foot floater and extend Toronto’s lead to six points with 1:09 to play.
Then Powell committed a Heat turnover, and the Raptors took advantage with a put-back layup from Scottie Barnes off an offensive rebound to put Miami in an eight-point hole with 35.8 seconds remaining.
The Heat’s offense totaled just 19 on 8-of-23 (34.8 percent) shooting from the field and 0-of-4 shooting from three-point range in the fourth quarter.
As a result, the Heat finished with a season-low 96 points on Monday. It marks the first time this season that Miami has been held under 100 points after ranking as the NBA’s highest-scoring team for most of the first month of the season.
The Heat, which averaged 124.3 points through the first 21 games of the season, has averaged just 105.6 points per game during this current five-game losing skid.
Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell each finished with a team-high 20 points for the Heat. Adebayo also added 10 rebounds in the loss.
But the Heat shot just 9 of 31 (29 percent) on threes in the defeat. The Raptors shot 16 of 40 (40 percent) from three-point range to outscore the Heat 48-27 from behind the arc.
Raptors forward Brandon Ingram totaled a game-high 28 points.
Even after a five-day break, Heat guard Tyler Herro’s toe injury remains an issue.
Herro took part in the Heat’s three practices leading up to Monday’s game, but he was a late scratch against the Raptors because of a lingering right big toe contusion.
Herro also missed two straight games on Dec. 5 and 6 because of the injury before returning to play in Tuesday’s NBA Cup loss to the Orlando Magic.
The hope was this five-day break between games would give Herro get back to close to 100 percent physically after also missing the 17 games of the season because of left ankle surgery in September.
But just 30 minutes before tipoff on Monday, the Heat announced that Herro would not play against the Raptors. He was listed on the injury report prior to the game but only as “available,” and he was also in the initial starting lineup that the Heat sent out over social media on Monday night before quickly making the correction.
Herro’s toe injury flared up shortly before tipoff on Monday, leading to him missing the contest.
Herro is 23.2 points per game on 50.5% shooting from the field, 40.5% shooting from three-point range and 92.3% shooting from the foul line in his six appearances this season. The Heat is 3-3 in the six games that Herro has played in, as he has missed 20 of the first 26 games.
Along with missing Herro, the Heat was also without guards Pelle Larsson (sprained left ankle) and Terry Rozier (not with team) against the Raptors. It marked the first game that Larsson has missed since turning his ankle in Tuesday’s loss to the Magic.
The only rotation player out for the Raptors on Monday was RJ Barrett because of a right knee sprain.
Then there was a scary moment in the second quarter, as Heat forward Nikola Jovic took a hard fall just seconds after entering the game and was ruled out for the rest of the night.
Jovic, who has dropped out of the Heat’s rotation recently, entered with 3:50 left in Monday’s first quarter with both Herro and Larsson unavailable. He had received three DNP-CDs (did not play, coach’s decision) in the previous seven games after his rough start to the season.
But Monday’s opportunity didn’t last long, as Jovic went up for a dunk in transition and came crashing down to the court after being fouled by Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles with 3:38 left in the first quarter.
Jovic immediately grabbed at his lower back and writhing in pain, as Heat teammates and trainers immediately rushed to check on him.
Heat trainers initially called for a stretcher to be brought out, but the stretcher ultimately wasn’t needed. Instead, Jovic was able to walk off the court under his own power but with his right arm in a protective brace.
Jovic, who only was able to play 12 seconds before his hard fall on Monday, left the game and didn’t return because of what the Heat labeled as a “right elbow injury.” X-rays on Jovic’s injured arm returned negative and he’ll undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
Jovic, 22, signed a four-year, $62.4 million extension with the Heat in October. The extension begins next season.
With the Heat missing Herro and Larsson, forward Simone Fonteechio received his first start in two seasons.
Fontecchio began Monday’s game alongside the Heat’s four other usual Heat starters — Davion Mitchell, Powell, Andrew Wiggins and Adebayo. It marks the Heat’s 11th different starting lineup through the first 26 games this season.
Not only did this mark Fontecchio’s first start of the season, but it’s also his first start since March 17, 2024 when he was a member of the Detroit Pistons.
Fontecchio, who has become a fixture in the Heat’s bench rotation this season, was quiet in his first start. He recorded just three points on 1-of-4 shooting from three-point range, four rebounds, two assists and one block in 26 minutes on Monday.
Dru Smith was a bright spot off the Heat’s bench.
As part of a Heat bench rotation that also included Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Nikola Jovic and Keshad Johnson, Smith stood out.
Smith finished Monday’s loss with 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 20 minutes.
Ware also had some positive moments, finishing with six points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes.