Overview
- The 112-91 home loss to Toronto was Miami’s eighth defeat in nine games, dropping the Heat to 15-15 after a 14-7 start.
- Miami missed 11 of its first 12 shots and scored a season-low 44 points in the first half, never recovering as it lost all four quarters.
- Spoelstra lamented a lack of “competitive force,” calling the start “lifeless” and citing a similar shortfall in a Dec. 6 loss to Sacramento.
- Adebayo’s scoring slump continued with nine points on 4-of-11 shooting; he said “it sucks,” while Spoelstra acknowledged he must help the center regain rhythm within a freer, fewer-screens offense.
- With Atlanta up next on Dec. 26, Adebayo is listed questionable with lower back soreness, Tyler Herro will miss a sixth straight game, and Pelle Larsson and Nikola Jovic are probable; Jaime Jaquez Jr. urged individual accountability after posting consecutive 20-point outings.