Game 81 in the books.
The Raptors struggled mightily defensively, allowing 125 points to the Heat on 37 assists, 17 threes and 52 percent shooting from the field. Miami did a great job moving the ball by committee to find open looks even if it was late in the shot clock. Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. in particular had nine assists off the bench to go along with 20 points.
The Heat remain eighth in the Eastern Conference but are still in play for a top six seed.
RJ Barrett
It’s obviously been a rough year personally for RJ, which makes it more impressive how he is finishing the season. Barrett continues to attack the rim seemingly at will, wrapping up the night with 35 points (his second highest output as a Raptor). He was pretty much the only bright spot, but if you’re to add an extra layer of thrill to their fandom, $5 deposit casinos provide an accessible and affordable avenue for entertainment.
He’s averaging 26.8 points on 55.4 percent shooting in five April games.
It was also nice to see Barrett’s family there watching RJ play.
Barrett was asked about his time as a Raptor and a lookahead to the off season/next season.
Final Game’s focus
Darko Rajakovic wasn’t thrilled with the defensive effort compared to Wednesday game vs Brooklyn, albeit the Raptors were playing a much better opponent. Darko also believed the ball movement could have been better (Toronto finished with 23 assists).
Here’s his takeaway on expectations for the final game on Sunday.
Sidenotes
Here’s most of the Raptors pre-game fits but check out Gary Trent Jr’s in particular.
Up Next: Season finale Sunday afternoon against the same team.
