Heat assured spot in play-in after falling in Toronto, 121-95

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun Sentinel on Apr 7, 2026

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TORONTO – You still can’t spell play-in without Miami Heat.

So for a fourth consecutive year, the postseason will begin with the pre-playoffs for Erik Spoelstra’s team.

Assured of no better than a No. 7 regular-season finish in the East, and currently at No. 10 in the conference, the Heat again will have to try to do it the hard way, assured now of being back in action next week, while the East’s top six seeds get the week off.

Not only did Tuesday night’s 121-95 loss to the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena leave the Heat at the bottom of the play-in pack, but it also compromised their status for potential multi-team tiebreakers.

The Heat now are 0-3 on the season against the Raptors, who moved closer to direct entry into the best-of-seven first round of the playoffs.

The teams conclude their four-game season series back at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday night.

Andrew Wiggins led the Heat with 24 points, with Tyler Herro and Norman Powell adding 14 apiece, the Heat also again unable to find needed defensive answers.

Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 25 points, with Brandon Ingram adding 23.

Five Degrees of Heat from Tuesday night’s game:

— 1. Game flow: The Raptors led 32-27 at the end of the opening period and 64-51 at halftime, after moving to a 17-point lead in the second period.

As in the teams’ previous meetings, the Raptors’ length was a factor, with Toronto with 23 shots at the rim in the first half, compared to 11 for the Heat.

The Heat closed within nine early in a third period that ended with the Raptors up 94-76.

Toronto then pushed their lead into the 20s early in the fourth.

— 2. Play-in reminder: Left now for the Heat over their final three games is a longshot fight to get into the Nos. 7-8 portion in the East play-in bracket.

The teams in the Nos. 7-8 play-in slots get two chances to advance to the playoffs, as opposed to the teams in the Nos. 9-10 game needing to win twice without a loss.

At No. 10, the Heat would be a road team during the play-in round.

The Heat’s remaining games are the Thursday matchup in Toronto, a Friday night road game against the Washington Wizards and then Sunday night’s regular-season finale against the Atlanta Hawks at Kaseya Center.

— 3. Mitchell early (only): Even with Powell back from his four-game illness absence, the Heat played him in reserve for the fourth time this season.

That had Spoelstra opening with a lineup of Wiggins, Herro, Bam Adebayo, Pelle Larsson and Davion Mitchell.

The Raptors dared Mitchell to shoot early, with the former Raptors guard scoring the Heat’s first seven points and nine of the team’s first 12. But once that Mitchell scoring stopped, so did much of the Heat offense, with Mitchell closing with those nine points.

— 4. Either/or: It again was an either/or equation with Herro and Powell, with Powell entering for the first time in place of Herro, and then going out when Herro returned from the bench.

Only in the second half, with the Heat down 16, did the two share time on the court together, and then only briefly.

The two entered having played together in only 17 games this season, for a total of 249 minutes. As a matter of perspective, that was less court time together than the combinations of Dru Smith-Kasparas Jakucionis, Nikola Jovic-Simone Fontecchio and Smith-Jovic.

Herro was asked about yet again having to re-develop chemistry with Powell on the fly.

“I feel like I get asked this question every time either I come back or Norm comes back,” he said. “But at this point, it’s about wins and whoever is out there to win the games. Obviously, we all want to play with each other. We all play the right way. I think Norm and I can play together, but whatever works.”

— 5. Wiggins’ way: Wiggins kept the Heat offense afloat for extended stretches, at one point in the third period 4 of 7 on 3-pointers while the rest of the roster was 5 of 20.

At that stage, Wiggins was 6 of 10 from the field at the same juncture that Larsson was 1 of 8 and Adebayo 1 of 6. Adebayo closed 2 of 13, Larsson 2 of 9.

Wiggins closed 8 of 13 from the field, including that 4 of 7 on 3-pointers.