While the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors both enter Monday’s game on four-game losing streaks, that’s far from the only similarity. (Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)
The Miami Heat will square off with the Toronto Raptors Monday, the first of four times the two teams will meet this season.
Monday’s game comes as a replacement for losing the Emirates Cup quarterfinals. The Heat lost by nine to the Orlando Magic, while the Raptors lost by 16 to the New York Knicks.
However, their Emirates Cup defeats aren’t the only thing separating the two teams ahead of Monday’s game.
Heat, Raptors have plenty of similarities entering Monday’s contest:
Both the Heat and Raptors will enter on four-game skids — their first of the season — but what were a few other coincidental similarities?! Let’s examine!
Raptors are 12th in offense, Heat is 13th.
Raptors are 9th in defense, Heat is 5th.
Both teams entered season wanting to play with more tempo, though Heat have executed to a much higher degree.
Both teams’ offenses have been buoyed by new additions (Norman Powell, Brandon Ingram).
NOTE: Brandon Ingram was traded to Toronto midseason, but did not play a single minute with them in 2024-25.
Both teams had win streaks of at least six games that nearly coincided.
Raptors had a nine-game win streak from Nov. 11-26, while the Heat’s six-game win streak lasted from Nov. 17-26
Since the start of December, Heat and Raptors are No. 20 and 21, respectively, in 3-point percentage.
Over that same timeframe, Heat is No. 23 in offense, while Toronto is 25th
That’s just a short list!
Not to mention, there’s just a 0.5 game separating them in the standings right now. Miami (14-11) is in a four-way tie for the No. 6 seed in the East; the Raptors (15-11), meanwhile, are tied with the Magic for the No. 4 seed.
“This year, it’s almost been mirror imaging,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said after Saturday’s practice. “The style of play, where we’ve been in the conference, the aggressiveness, the commitment to defense.
“But I would say any year that the Heat and Toronto face each other, it always ends up being great, competitive games.”
There have been some ridiculous Heat-Raptors battles over the years. Anyone recall the triple OT game in 2021-22?! The two nailbiters last year, including one that finished in OT?! The 84-76 rock fight in 2019-20?! That’s not even the start of it.
Will we get another inside Kaseya Center Monday night?!
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