Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
Precious Achiuwa Makes Heat Pay as Raptors Pull Out Series Split in Miami
When Kyle Lowry left the Toronto Raptors a season ago, his goal was to head south, play alongside Jimmy Butler, and try to win another championship.
It was a mutual decision to part ways as the Raptors turned the page on the most successful era in franchise history and looked toward a new future with the No. 4 pick and a group of young and talented players. It seemed only logical that Miami with its core of veteran players would be a step or two ahead of Toronto.
What Lowry might not have expected was how quickly the Raptors would turn things around. After falling five games back of Miami last season, the Raptors appear every bit as good as the Heat this year. They dropped a three-point loss on a difficult back-to-back on Saturday and then rallied for a come-from-behind 98-90 win against the Heat on Monday to jump one game up on Miami early this year.
Ironically, the win wouldn't have been possible if not for Precious Achiuwa, the key player in Toronto's sign-and-trade package for Lowry a year ago. The third-year forward set a career-high with 22 rebounds off the bench for the Raptors, becoming just the 14th player in franchise history to record at least 20 rebounds and the first player to do so off the bench. The biggest of those rebounds came midway through the fourth quarter when Achiuwa snared an offensive board and found O.G. Anunoby for a corner three-pointer to recapture the lead for Toronto.
By leaving Toronto, Lowry also opened the door for Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet to step into bigger roles. For Siakam, that has meant dealing with plenty more defensive attention from teams and Monday was no different. The Heat repeatedly sent double and triple teams his way and while he struggled to score early, the two-time All-NBA forward flashed his playmaking skills, keeping Toronto's offense ticking in the third quarter with a pair of assists on three-pointers by VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr.
In the fourth, Siakam finally shook loose for nine of his 23-points, nailing a three-pointer of his own off a VanVleet assist before hitting a clutch fadeaway jumper to put Toronto up five with less than a minute to go.
Lowry, meanwhile, couldn't find a groove against his old squad, connecting on just 1-for-8 from the field, finishing the game with seven points and just two assists.
Christian Koloko Gets 1st Start
Christian Koloko got his first career start with Scottie Barnes sidelined due to an ankle injury. Offensively, it allowed Toronto to run more pick-and-roll with Fred VanVleet orchestrating the offense, but Miami took advantage of Koloko on the other end at times early Monday night.
The rookie did open the game with a shot contest of Bam Adebayo that led to an easy transition bucket for Siakam, but he wasn't a particularly impressive performance from the rookie center who finished with just two points and five fouls.
Scottie Barnes Update
Speaking of Barnes, it sounds like the sophomore forward isn't too far away from a return. He had been listed as questionable prior to the game and was seen standing on the sideline cheering pain-free throughout the game.
Amy Audibert Joins Heat Broadcast
In other news, former Sportsnet Raptors broadcaster Amy Audibert announced her new job as a TV and radio broadcaster for the Heat this season.
Up Next: Philadelphia 76ers
The Raptors will have the night off before returning home to Scotiabank Arena for a date with Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.
