In a fun scheduling kink, the Toronto Raptors take on the Miami Heat in consecutive games, both in Miami, within the first week of the season. Game one of the series was a tough one — looking back, a three-point loss was a pretty good outcome considering: the Raptors had been down by 24; Scottie Barnes exited during the first half with a sprained ankle; Fred VanVleet played basically the entire second half with five fouls; and the Raptors’ frontcourt depth — that’s right, frontcourt depth — was pretty thin following Christian Koloko’s ejection.
While the final score was that of a one-possession battle, the Raptors looked a step slow and overmatched for most of the game.