{"id":348276,"date":"2025-12-16T05:39:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T05:39:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/348276\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T05:39:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T05:39:11","slug":"rested-raptors-give-complete-effort-in-much-needed-win-vs-heat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/348276\/","title":{"rendered":"Rested Raptors give complete effort in much-needed win vs. Heat"},"content":{"rendered":"

While there was a fairly common view that the NBA\u2019s lesser conference would devolve into the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers on top, with perhaps some noise made by the Orlando Magic, the reality through approximately 25 games is that the East is much deeper than most expected. The Cavaliers, in eighth place, are struggling. The Pistons, leading the East, are thriving. The Knicks, alone in second place, are where most expected them to be, and the Bucks (who the Raptors will play on Wednesday night) appear to be in a freefall with Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined due to a calf injury and potentially halfway out the door.<\/p>\n

That the Heat and Raptors were meeting on Dec. 15th\u00a0as the sixth and fifth-place teams, respectively, in the East after finishing 10th\u00a0and 11th\u00a0last season, bolsters the idea that what the East might be lacking in superteams, they make up for in teams that are, you know, pretty decent. But good starts only matter if they can be sustained, and both the Heat and Raptors came out of the welcomed five-day break afforded by the NBA Cup \u2014 after both clubs lost in the quarterfinals \u2014 badly needing to regain their early-season momentum. <\/p>\n

Miami had lost four of five (and four straight) since peaking at 13-6, while the Raptors had lost six of seven (and four straight) since peaking at 14-5.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It turns out it was the Raptors, who gave as full and complete an effort as they have in weeks, particularly on the defensive end in what ended up a much-needed 106-96 win where they held the Heat’s new look offence \u2014 third-highest scoring in the league \u2014 to 26 points below their season average and a 21-point improvement over the 117 points per game the Raptors had been giving up over their 1-6 swoon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was a game with multiple bright spots. The bench shone for a change, with Gradey Dick (10 points and two steals in 15 minutes) having an impact, Colin Murray-Boyles showing out on the defensive end in his 15 minutes and Sandro Mamukelashvili chipping in 11 points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes. Meanwhile, Jamal Shead<\/a> is less bench player than a sixth starter at this stage. He had eight points and 10 assists in 24 minutes and was a game-high plus-27.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He was outstanding all night \u2014 as his plus-minus would suggest \u2014 but was especially crucial down the stretch. Shead sandwiched a pair of assists around a triple as the Raptors built their lead to double figures for the first time with 7:31 to play. And when Toronto saw the 11-point lead it had built with 3:35 to play, shrink to four with 1:28 left while Shead was on the bench, he came back to calm things. The Raptors’ offence had shrivelled, yielding two end-of-shot-clock prayers and a turnover when Shead subbed back in. He immediately hit a floater out of a pick-and-roll and settled things down. <\/p>\n

After that, Scottie Barnes<\/a> scored on a putback, which followed a monster offensive rebound, and then assisted on a lay-up by Jakob Poeltl. Barnes had already come up with another giant offensive rebound and score, as well as two huge blocks to help the Raptors keep pace with Miami, which led by three to start the fourth. The fifth-year forward finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals and three blocks. Prior to that, it was Brandon Ingram<\/a> who helped the Raptors keep the game within reach with 28 points, five rebounds and five assists.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Raptors improved to 16-11 with the win and jumped to third place in a tightly compacted East standings, while the Heat \u2014 who the Raptors visit again on Dec. 23rd\u00a0\u2014 slipped to 14-12 and ninth.<\/p>\n

Ingram rolling:\u00a0Was Ingram tired? It was a persistent and sensible line of questioning when the Raptors\u2019 leading scorer was struggling earlier this month. Given he\u2019d missed so much basketball last season, perhaps the heavy minutes and the steady stream of games \u2014 leading the Raptors in both categories this season \u2014 was a fact. We\u2019ll never know, and it\u2019s a moot point now, given that the Raptors got five days off thanks to the NBA Cup.<\/p>\n

Did he need them? Hard to know, given that he put up 30.5 points, five rebounds and 4.5 assists on 57.9 per cent shooting (including 58.3 per cent on threes) in losses to the Boston Celtics and Knicks before the pause, which were Toronto\u2019s sixth and seventh games in a stretch of seven. Go figure. More relevantly, rust certainly wasn\u2019t a problem for Ingram as he came out of the gates firing on Monday, putting up 18 of his 28 points in the first half and 12 in the first quarter. Production the Raptors needed as there was some sluggishness elsewhere, as they trailed 52-46 at the break. <\/p>\n

To my eyes, his fresh legs were most obvious defensively as he was active and sliding more than he was during the most recent grind of the Raptors schedule. How Ingram becomes fully integrated with the Raptors’ offence is still a work in progress. He remains a slightly odd fit in that he remains a determined isolation scorer on a team where the ball is supposed to zip. But the Raptors can\u2019t always pass and cut their way to easy buckets, which places a lot of value on Ingram\u2019s ability to create his own looks. When he\u2019s cooking the way he has the past three games \u2014 29.7 points on 54.4 per cent shooting and 63.3 per cent from deep \u2014 it\u2019s hard to argue with what Ingram brings or how he brings it.<\/p>\n

Norman Powell<\/a> trade looking worse: It\u2019s been five seasons since the Raptors traded Powell, who is now starring with the Miami Heat. It was a deal that didn\u2019t make a lot of sense at the time and has made less every year since. Here\u2019s a fun exercise (not so fun for Raptors fans): imagine a current trade proposal that involved Powell being traded for Gary Trent Jr., plus some salary filler. That was the return the Raptors got way back when, plus Rodney Hood, who was never a factor in Toronto. Ridiculous, right?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trent Jr. has done a decent-enough job for the Milwaukee Bucks, spacing the floor for Antetokounmpo after signing there as a free agent in the summer of 2024. The former Raptor has averaged 10.9 points while shooting 40.3 per cent from three with the Bucks, which is pretty good production for a 27-year-old who was on a veteran minimum deal last year and signed a two-year deal (with a player option for next season) for $7.5 million this past summer. Over the past five seasons, he\u2019s averaged 14.6 points a game and shot 38.9 per cent from three. Again, not bad. But he’s firmly a role player and maybe a fringe one at that. Even ignoring the salary differences, it\u2019s a trade that would never happen today. <\/p>\n

Powell is in the midst of another breakout season, even if it happens to be his 11th\u00a0year in the league. Heading into Monday night, he was averaging a career-best 24.6 points a game on a career-high 43.6 per cent three-point shooting and is in the mix to make his first all-star team this season.\u00a0\u00a0In his last five seasons, Powell has averaged 18.1 points a game, and his 42 per cent mark from deep is third best in the NBA among players with at least 200 games played and at least five attempts per game. All of which to say is the Raptors decision to trade Powell for Trent Jr. during the 2020-21 season remains one of the front office\u2019s true stumbles. Powell finished with 20 points on 5-of-15 shooting for Miami against Toronto, an off night for him, but those have been few and far between in his post-Raptors career.<\/p>\n

Heat offence, formerly sizzling: Miami\u2019s decision to play five-out offensively and almost completely abandon any pick-and-roll action, relying on fast straight-line drives, kickouts, swing passes and more drive-and-kick looks to generate open shots has been one of the nerdy subplots of the early NBA season. It\u2019s a significant departure from Miami\u2019s grindy (and low-scoring) attack of the past few seasons, and strays away from the pick-and-roll orthodoxy that had ruled the NBA forever, seemingly. After getting swept by the Cavaliers in the first round last season, head coach Eric Spoelstra dove into an offensive makeover. It\u2019s gotten a lot of attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I do really like and respect about coach Spoelstra, he’s not afraid to try new things, and he’s always trying to maximize the roster that he has,\u201d said Raptors head coach Darko Rajokovic. ” \u2026 And that style is very unique. You know, I believe they’re averaging like, 20 or 21 pick-and-rolls only a game. And on the other side, you have (Los Angeles Lakers guard) Luka Doncic, who’s averaging 40 pick and rolls just by himself \u2026 It’s gonna be first time for us to see that style of play, especially like running on the makes, and we got to be on when it comes to our defensive readiness to guard one on one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Raptors were ready:\u00a0Perhaps the best thing the Raptors had going for them on Monday was that they were playing the up-tempo Heat \u2014 in addition to being third in points scored per game, the Heat came into the matchup first in overall pace, first in transition scoring and last in pick-and-roll frequency \u2014 with fresh legs. The Raptors’ inability to guard the ball against the Celtics or Knicks in their most recent games \u2014 miscues that led to overhelping on the ball-handler and wide-open threes as they struggled to get back to close out \u2014 suddenly disappeared.<\/p>\n

\"NBANBA on Sportsnet<\/p>\n

Livestream 40-plus regular season Toronto Raptors games, marquee matchups from around the association, select NBA Playoffs games, the NBA Draft and summer league action on Sportsnet+.<\/p>\n

Broadcast Schedule<\/a><\/p>\n

Toronto had given up 36 threes on their homecourt over their previous two games with the Celtics and Knicks shooting a combined 44 per cent from deep. It\u2019s hard to win games against those numbers. But freed from having to worry about fighting through screens or switching, and fresh from their break, the Raptors guarded the ball straight up and more often than not were able to avoid blow-bys and the open looks that they generate. Or they recovered. Spectacular blocks by Murray-Boyles (on Bam Adebayo) and Barnes fell into that category. Toronto held Miami to just 9-of-31 shooting from deep in part because its on-ball defence meant not having to help as routinely.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Better to give than receive:\u00a0With a season-high-tying 10 assists, Shead extended his lead among bench players. He has 137 dimes on the season in 26 games, 13 ahead of Miami\u2019s Jaime Jaquez Jr. But Shead also leads in another category that almost certainly no one tracks: field goal attempts per assists. Shead is the only player in the NBA with more than 120 assists on fewer than 160 shots of his own. For the season, Shead has 145 assists (which includes the eight assists he had against the Knicks last Tuesday in his one start this season) and 151 shot attempts. No one else is even remotely close to his nearly 1:1 ratio. Against the Heat, he was true to form, putting up just nine shots (making three) opposite his 10 helpers, which came with just one turnover. Another ratio (his 4.68 assist-to-turnover mark is second in the NBA among players with at least 100 assists on the season) where Shead shines.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While there was a fairly common view that the NBA\u2019s lesser conference would devolve into the New York…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":348277,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[434],"tags":[49,48,459,82],"class_list":["post-348276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=348276"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348276\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/348277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=348276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=348276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=348276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}