Scottie Barnes led Toronto with 27 points in a 112-91 win over Miami on Dec. 23.
The Toronto Raptors (43-35, 6th in Eastern Conference) host the Miami Heat (41-37, 10th in Eastern Conference) on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena.
Both the Raptors and Heat have clinched a spot in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, but their seeding remains uncertain. Both teams have chances to get better playoff positioning, and in the Raptors’ case, locking up a top 6 seed would be massive.
The Raptors have been fighting to hang on down the stretch, but they’ve lost three of their last four, including a 115-101 defeat at the hands of the Boston Celtics on Sunday. As for the Heat, they’re coming off a 152-136 win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday, meaning they’ve won two of their last three but own a 2-3 mark across their last five games.
Here are three key storylines to know heading into today’s matchup.
1. Massive playoff implications: Even though both teams have already locked up a berth in the playoffs, there’s a lot to be determined in terms of seeding ahead of the final week of the regular season. Ahead of Tuesday’s slate, the Raptors hold a 0.5-game lead over the 76ers for the sixth spot in the standings, and a win here could go a long way for Toronto since the rest of their schedule includes another matchup against the Heat and a meeting with the Knicks.
As for the Heat, they’re 2.0 games behind Toronto, and with back-to-back head-to-head meetings, Miami could cause a massive shockwave in the standings if it wins both games. With the standings in the East so tight and six teams vying for the final two playoff spots to avoid the Play-In Tournament, the stakes are incredibly high before this showdown.
2. Scottie Barnes dishing out the dimes: The Raptors may be without Immanuel Quickley (foot) again for this game, and while the team has a perfectly capable backup point guard in Jamal Shead, it has been Barnes who’s embracing a bigger role in the playmaking department. Barnes has dished out at least six assists in each of his last 10 games, a stretch in which he’s averaging 9.9 dimes but also 3.2 turnovers. Barnes is one of the most versatile forwards in the NBA, so it’s not a surprise to see him stand out in another area of his game. Look for Barnes’ facilitating to be a challenge for the Heat’s defense.
3. Bam Adebayo will have a massive opportunity to shine: The Raptors could be shorthanded in terms of their frontcourt depth since Sandro Mamukelashvili (knee) and Collin Murray-Boyles (quadriceps) are questionable, meaning Jakob Poeltl will be the only true center available for Toronto.
That should mean a flashing green light for Adebayo, who is having a career year. The star big man is averaging 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in his 11 appearances after he dropped 83 points on the Wizards on March 10, and he’s putting up 24.1 points with 10.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game since the All-Star break. He could be a big problem down low for the Raptors.
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