MIAMI – Bam Adebayo had 15 points and 14 rebounds, and the Miami Heat put together their best defensive performance of the season in an 84-76 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night (Friday, PHL time).
Tyler Herro and Goran Dragic each scored 13 points for Miami, which is now 2-0 against the Raptors this season and improved to 9-0 after a loss. The Heat and Milwaukee are the only teams to not lose consecutive games this season.
Derrick Jones Jr. scored 10 points and Jimmy Butler finished with eight points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for Miami.
Serge Ibaka had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Toronto. Kyle Lowry scored 15 points, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 13 and OG Anunoby had 12 points and 12 rebounds. The Raptors shot only 31.5% and were 6 for 42 from 3-point range.
There was a pregame tribute and moment of silence for former NBA Commissioner David Stern, who died Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time) at the age of 77. Both the Raptors and the Heat were born under Stern’s leadership of the league.
“There probably is some serendipity to this game, to have the expansion of the league … it’s a byproduct of his leadership and vision,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Miami set a season-best for points allowed by a huge margin; the previous Heat low in that department this season was 94 against New Orleans on Nov. 16 (Nov. 17, PHL time). Toronto’s previous season low for points was 88, in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 11 (Nov. 12, PHL time).
Anunoby was fouled on a 3-point try with 1:21 left in the third, making all three free throws to tie the game at 60. It was Toronto’s second time cashing in on such a foul in the game, after Lowry went 3 for 3 in that situation late in the first quarter.
But the Heat went on a 17-5 run in the fourth and held Toronto to 16 points in the final 12 minutes.
UP NEXT
Raptors: Visit Brooklyn on Saturday (Sunday, PHL time), ending a quick two-game road trip.
Heat: Visit Orlando on Friday (Saturday, PHL time), the first of four meetings between the in-state rivals this season.(AP)
