Norman Powell called Toronto’s defense “physical” after Monday’s 106-96 loss, noting the Raptors used deflections, length, and rotation to disrupt Miami’s offense. “Being in the gaps of help made it a little difficult… they were rotating, using their height and length,” Powell said.
Powell highlighted Miami’s offensive execution struggles, saying the team found moments of success but could not sustain them. “Earlier in the season we were moving the ball, finding open good looks. Right now, the offense is slow because they’re denying us,” he explained.
He stressed that maintaining defensive identity is critical for the team to overcome shooting slumps. “Who are we going to be when we have nights like this? It has to start on the defensive end… it’s going to be a defensive-first team,” Powell said.
Powell also addressed Miami’s transition struggles under high pressure. “They’re picking us up higher. We’ve got to spread the floor, back cut, get guys in rotations… opponents aren’t in rotations enough right now,” he said, noting the need for off-ball movement.
The veteran wing also discussed Nikola Jovic’s injury, calling it a scary situation initially but praising the player’s positive attitude. “Seeing the puddle of blood… you start thinking he broke his arm, but luckily he didn’t. He’s always really positive,” Powell said.
He acknowledged that opponents have been outshooting Miami from three recently and stressed the need to adjust collectively. “It’s all of us. All of us have to be better. We have to sacrifice on defense to get stops and get our offense clicking,” Powell explained.
Toronto snapped a four-game losing streak behind Brandon Ingram’s 28 points, 16 made threes, and Scottie Barnes’ double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Jamal Shead’s late three-pointer and Barnes’ putback sealed the Raptors’ win.
Miami, now 14-12, was led by Powell and Bam Adebayo with 20 points each. The Heat struggled from three-point range, hitting just 29 percent, and lost Nikola Jovic to an elbow injury in the first quarter.
The Raptors improved to 16-11 and will continue their road trip Thursday in Milwaukee, while Miami heads to Brooklyn to regroup offensively.
