Miami Heat comeback bid falls short in 107-103 loss to the Toronto Raptors
The Miami Heat were in position to complete a comeback against one of the top teams in the league.
Instead, they blew the opportunity by committing two turnovers in the final 30 seconds of their 107-103 loss to the Toronto Raptors Monday in Orlando. The Heat fell to 42-25, losing their first game of the NBA restart.
Goran Dragic led six players in double figures with 25 points off the bench. Fred VanVleet scored a career-high 36 for the Raptors.
The Heat trailed 68-51 after Raptors guard Kyle Lowry made two free throws with 7 minutes, 2 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Behind Dragic and fellow reserve Kelly Olynyk (17 points), Miami made a late charge. Olynyk hit a 3-pointer to put the Heat ahead 92-89 with 7:45 remaining.
"I feel like the second unit played well," Dragic said. "We just need to stay with and hopefully next time it will be better."
The Heat's hope ended with the two turnovers in the closing minute. Trailing by one, Jimmy Butler mishandled a pass from Dragic. They had another errant pass on the next possession.
"That's basketball. You have the ball in those two guys hands and you live with the result," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. I liked the opportunities on both of them. Sometimes, the defense has something to say about that."
Butler and Jae Crowder, who started for a second straight game, each finished with 16 points. The Raptors, the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, have now won 23 of their last 27 games.
The Heat face the Boston Celtics Tuesday. It will mark their third straight game against a playoff team after beginning the restart versus the Denver Nuggets.
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