After a 46-win regular season, the Miami Heat are gearing up for the playoffs, but they’ll have to navigate through the play-in tournament first.
Thomas Bryant and Jaime Jaquez Jr. led the charge as the Heat secured a 118-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
Bryant posted a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Jaquez Jr. also contributed 18 points to the winning effort. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro each added 17 points, with Jimmy Butler chipping in 15 points. Caleb Martin and Delon Wright provided additional support with 12 and 11 points, respectively, along with Wright’s five steals.
Heads to Philadelphia to open the play-in tournament on Wednesday
Miami (46-36) now heads to Philadelphia to open the play-in tournament on Wednesday, where they’ll face off against the 76ers for the No. 7 seed. The loser of that game will have another opportunity to secure the No. 8 seed by hosting either Atlanta or Chicago on Friday.
Despite the loss, Gary Trent Jr. led the Raptors with 18 points, supported by Jordan Nwora and Gradey Dick with 14 points each. Kelly Olynyk contributed 11 points, and Ochai Agbaji added 10 for Toronto (25-57), who finished the season with the fifth-worst record in franchise history.
Miami dominated the second quarter, outscoring Toronto 43-22 to establish a commanding 67-46 halftime lead. The Heat’s strong performance propelled them to victory and sets the stage for an exciting postseason journey.
