By Canadian Press

Canadian RJ Barrett stays hot at home, scores 37 to lead Raptors past Heat 119-116

Dec 1, 2024 | 6:43 PM

TORONTO — Canadian RJ Barrett had a game-high 37 points as the Toronto Raptors held on for a 119-116 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday.

Scottie Barnes was an assist shy of a triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists as Toronto (6-15) split the home-and-home series with the Heat. Jakob Poeltl had his 12th double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 boards.

Raptors rookie Ja’Kobe Walter started in his third consecutive game in place of the injured Gradey Dick (calf). Walter finished with 12 points and three rebounds.

Tyler Herro led Miami (9-9) with 31 points and Jimmy Butler added 17. Terry Rozier III came off the bench for 17 points.

Although Toronto led by as many as 14 points, the Heat outscored them 14-8 in the final four minutes of the game to make it a one-possession game.

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Takeaways

Miami: The Heat struggled mightily in the paint, getting outscored 68-46 around the rim. Starting centre Bam Adebayo was limited to 13 points, although he grabbed 20 rebounds. He is averaging 15.8 points per game so far this season.

Toronto: The Raptors squandered a 10-point lead in the second quarter with eight turnovers, leading to 13 Miami points. A 14-6 Toronto run closed out the half to restore a five-point lead by intermission but it was a costly period that allowed the Heat back in the game. Toronto entered the game tied with the Atlanta Hawks for fourth-most turnovers in the NBA with 15.7 per game. The Raptors finished the game with 16 turnovers — leading to 22 points — to the Heat’s 14.

Key moment

Barrett drained a 25-foot three-pointer with 5:31 left in the third to give Toronto a 78-77 lead. That kicked off a 13-2 run for the next two minutes of play that put the Raptors ahead by nine points. Barrett scored six of those points as Toronto built a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

Key stat

Barrett, from neighbouring Mississauga, Ont., is thriving in Toronto. He’s played seven games at Scotiabank Arena since returning from a sprained shoulder in the pre-season and he’s had 30 or more points in five of them. Sunday’s win was Barrett’s third straight home game where he scored over 30 points.

Up next

The Raptors host the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night in Toronto’s final game of the NBA Cup’s group stage. With an 0-3 record in the in-season tournament, the Raptors are mathematically eliminated from advancing to the playoffs and will have a game added to their current homestand.

Miami continues its road trip Monday with a stop in Boston to face the NBA champion Celtics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press