The Toronto Raptors continued their winning streak by defeating the Miami Heat 106-92 at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday.
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With that, the Raptors (38-38) have broken the 500 mark overall for the first time in a long time. They joined the Atlanta Hawks in 8th place in the Eastern Conference with just six games left on the regular schedule.
A three-headed monster has given Nick Nurse’s side a sixth win in their last eight meetings. Pascal Siakam led again with 26 points. OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes added 22 points to the board, with the latter completing a double-double with his 12 assists.
Early in the game on the bench, Montreal’s Chris Boucher spent 28 minutes on the ground. He took the opportunity to accumulate eight points and five rebounds, but he missed all three of his attempts from downtown.
The absence of Jimmy Butler, injured, was felt in the heat. Tyler Herro kept his attack at bay with 33 points. Kevin Love had 21, but everyone else on Team Florida was held within eight points.
The Raps’ next mission will be a big one. They will try to prevent the 76ers from signing their 50th win of the season in Philadelphia on Friday.
The Thunder stumbles without “SGA”
The Charlotte Hornets are having a miserable season, but they still manage to thwart competitive teams. At the PayCom Center, they frustrated the Oklahoma City Thunder by winning 137-134.
The Hornets, ranked 14th in the East, also beat the Dallas Mavericks twice in 48 hours last weekend.
The Thunder led by 11 points at halftime and by six points going into the final quarter, but collapsed late in the game. PJ Washington was his torturer, he the author of an evening of 43 points.
Isaiah Joe (33 points), Jalen Williams (31 points) and Josh Giddey (31 points) were productive in the absence of Oklahoma’s top player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Quebec’s Luguentz Dort recovered well after some poor performances. He had 16 points and seven rebounds.