The Toronto Raptors are set to play the Miami Heat for the third time in less than two weeks. So far, each team has won on its home court, which might give Miami an advantage as they host the game on Thursday.
The Raptors are on a three-game losing streak and have struggled on the road with a 1-11 record. Their only win away from home was against New Orleans on November 27.
RJ Barrett leads Toronto in scoring with 23.6 points per game, and he also ranks second in assists (5.8) and third in rebounds (6.6). He scored 30 points in a game against the New York Knicks on Monday, which was his seventh game of the season with at least 30 points.
However, the Raptors are facing some injury issues. Scottie Barnes sprained his right ankle in the game against the Knicks and is expected to miss at least a week. Barnes is currently the team’s leader in assists (7.4) and ranks second in points (20.6) and rebounds (8.4).
Immanuel Quickley, another key player, is also sidelined with an elbow injury and has been out since November 10. Quickley averaged a career-high 17 points last season and is considered an important part of the Raptors’ young core, which includes Barrett, Barnes, Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Davion Mitchell, and Ja’Kobe Walter.
All of these players were first-round NBA draft picks.
Despite the challenges, Barrett expressed confidence in the team’s abilities. “We believe in what we can do,” Barrett said after their tough 113-108 loss to the Knicks on Monday. “We’ve seen in little segments what we can build upon.”
While the Raptors are in a rebuilding phase, the Miami Heat are focused on winning now. The Heat are on a three-game winning streak, having defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and Cleveland Cavaliers, all of which have winning records. The Cavaliers even have the best record in the NBA.
Miami’s top three scorers are Tyler Herro (24.2), Jimmy Butler (19.0), and Bam Adebayo (16.0). The trio has been together for six straight seasons after Herro was drafted in 2019, Butler was traded to Miami in 2019, and Adebayo, who had been with the team since 2017, completed the group.
In addition to the star players, the Heat have also found success with hidden gems like Dru Smith. Smith, a 6-2 guard who played college basketball at Evansville and Missouri, went undrafted in 2021. His professional career has been affected by knee injuries, which ended his season in both February 2022 and November 2023.
In July 2024, Smith signed a two-way contract with the Heat, and he is now starting to make an impact. In Miami’s past two games, Smith played the entire 12 minutes of the fourth quarter in both games.
He had a career-high 29 minutes played against the Suns and 26 minutes against the Cavaliers. During those games, Smith scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds, recorded three assists, two steals, and one block.
Adebayo praised Smith’s contributions, saying, “Dru comes in and he changes the game (with his defense).”
