Lowry’s return not enough to handle Heat
It wasn’t the mistakes that cost the Raptors, because they are going to make their fair share of them every game. It was when they made them, and how, that cost them in a 116-108 loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.
Every time the Raptors seemed poised to get back in the game or turn the momentum, they would make a turnover, miss a defensive rotation or give up an offensive rebound.
Heat 116 Raptors 108
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The mistakes spoiled Kyle Lowry’s comeback from an injury and sent the Raptors back below .500 at 16-17.
Jimmy Butler had 27 points and 10 assists to lead the Heat, who won their fourth straight.
The return of Lowry has to give the Raptors some measure of confidence as they head into the final four games before the all-star break. Coming back after missing four games with a left thumb injury, Lowry looked like he hadn’t missed a beat in a 24-point, eight-assist, seven-rebound performance.
“He’s got the freshest legs of anybody around so he may have to use ’em tonight,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said before running Lowry out for 35 minutes.
As well as the Raptors played in his absence, they are just whole when the veteran guard is in his usual spot. It allows the Raptors to start their most effective five-man unit — him, Fred VanVleet, Norm Powell, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam — and to bring Chris Boucher, Aron Baynes, DeAndre’ Bembry and someone else off the bench. The issue Wednesday was that the bench production was too spotty. á Trying too hard: It wasn’t the best of nights for Siakam, especially the first half. He was a step slow on defence and picked up a fourth foul with just over a minute left in the second quarter, when he telegraphed a drive to the basket from about midcourt and charged into a stationary Kelly Olynyk. Siakam ended up on the bench for the final 14 minutes of the game. á Getting caught: The Raptors like to use someone other than VanVleet or Lowry to bring the ball up the court and initiate the offence, and it caught up to them in one first-quarter stretch Wednesday.
Bembry, facing a double team and trap at midcourt, was stripped of the ball and then committed a clear path foul trying to make up for the turnover. It gave the Heat two free throws and the ball; Gabe Vincent made both foul shots and Andre Iguodala made a corner three. á The grind is over: Wednesday’s game finished off the last of four back-to-backs in the first half of the season and was Toronto’s fifth in seven nights.