Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo Help Heat Outlast Raptors in 84-76 Slugfest

The Miami Heat won their 16th home game in 17 tries with an 84-76 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

The ugly defensive battle saw the Raps shoot just 31.5 percent from the field and 6-of-42 from three-point range. Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet combined to shoot 7-of-32 overall.

The Heat struggled from the field as well, but their zone defense excelled enough for Miami to overcome an off night and grind their way to a win.

Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro pitched in 13 apiece off the bench.

Serge Ibaka's 19 points paced Toronto, and he also grabbed 10 boards. OG Anunoby added a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double.

The 25-9 Heat won their sixth game in seven matchups. The Raptors are 2-4 in their last six.

Notable Performances

Raptors F Serge Ibaka: 19 points, 10 rebounds

Raptors PG Kyle Lowry: 15 points, 8 assists

Raptors F Rondae Hollis-Jefferson: 13 points, 7 rebounds

Raptors F OG Anunoby: 12 points, 12 rebounds

Heat C Bam Adebayo: 15 points, 14 rebounds

Heat G Tyler Herro: 13 points, 4 rebounds

Heat G Goran Dragic: 13 points, 2 rebounds

Heat G/F Jimmy Butler: 8 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists

Miami's Defense Perplexes Raptors

One shooting chart from ESPN's Kirk Goldsberry summed up this game:

The Raptors came into this game shorthanded with Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol and Norman Powell all sidelined with injuries, and the team was held to 34.5 points below its 110.5-point season average Thursday.

Holding an NBA team to 76 points would have been impressive even in the defense-oriented late 1990s and early 2000s, but doing so in the more free-flowing basketball of today's game is an incredible accomplishment.

The Heat's 2-3 zone defense was a big catalyst here, which was also the case in Miami's 108-104 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 19.

"To combat [76ers center Joel Embiid's] massive size advantage in the middle, the Heat employed a zone on 40 percent of their defensive possessions—and held the Sixers to 12-for-32 shooting (38 percent), including 7-for-21 from 3-point range," ESPN's Tim Bontemps wrote postgame.

The Heat went back to that zone Thursday, with Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald noting that the team employed it "most of the night."

The Heat's defense shined outside the zone, however. Jimmy Butler hustled back in transition for this steal to prevent what looked like an easy OG Anunoby fast-break layup:

Kendrick Nunn's active hands in the passing lane led to a Raptor turnover:

But the 2-3 zone was a serious problem. Notably, it led to a bucket on the other end here, with a Rondae Hollis-Jefferson turnover leading to a hoop and harm for Chris Silva:

That defense helped the Heat post one of their best scoring halves of the season:

Miami is positioned well to compete for the second seed in the Eastern Conference after another dominant win. We'll see how the second half of the season develops, but the zone has proved to be a major edge for the Heat as it battles for postseason position. 

What's Next?

The Raptors will visit the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET in Barclays Center. The Heat will stay in-state for a road game against the Orlando Magic on Friday at 7 p.m. ET in Amway Center.