Toronto Raptors: 5 takeaways from 107-103 win over Miami Heat
By Brad Vos
2) Pascal Siakam had an answer for Bam Adebayo
In their first meeting this season with the Heat, Pascal Siakam was held to 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting, although he did also grab 12 boards. He did not play in their second matchup, but Toronto lost both games.
On Monday, Siakam seemed to have an answer for the Heat’s stout defence, posting 22 points and a plus-14 while he was on the court. He was also on the receiving end of a gorgeous alley-oop play from Norman Powell.
Another big positive from Siakam was seeing him hit more shots from three-point range, making four against Miami. He also made sure to be more of a facilitator with the ball when the Heat’s defence was focusing on him, which allowed him to create some mismatches.
3) The Raptors’ defence is still championship level
The Raptors won the Larry O’Brien Trophy last season based on ferocious defence, and timely scoring. The defense seems every bit as good this season, even without Kawhi Leonard.
The team is relentless and does not take plays off. Head Coach Nick Nurse throws a dizzying amount of looks at opposing offences, and the Heat looked frustrated for long stretches.
This was evident by the fact Miami was 31.1 percent from beyond the arc as OG Anunoby, Kyle Lowry and Siakam were giving the Heat little to no room to operate.