Heat Make Early Statement in 129–105 Preseason Win Over Raptors
SportsEdge360 | NBA Post-Game Report
October 4, 2026 | GMT+8
The Miami Heat opened their 2026 preseason campaign in impressive fashion, defeating the Toronto Raptors 129–105 at Videotron Centre in Québec City.
While preseason results should always be viewed with some caution, Miami gave an early glimpse of what its revamped roster could become — combining size, ball movement and scoring depth to pull away from Toronto.
SE360 QUICK EDGE
Final Score: Miami Heat 129 – Toronto Raptors 105
Game Takeaway: Miami's depth and offensive efficiency stood out immediately.
Heat Shooting: 48.8% from the field
Raptors Shooting: 39.4% from the field
Rebounding: Miami 55 – Toronto 43
SE360 View: Encouraging opening performance for Miami, but preseason rotations and limited starter minutes mean the result should not be overvalued.
Miami's New Look Gets Its First Test
One of the biggest storylines was the first preseason appearance of Giannis Antetokounmpo in a Miami Heat uniform.
His workload was deliberately limited, but he still produced nine points, four rebounds and seven assists in just over 14 minutes.
Rather than dominating the ball, Giannis showed another potentially important dimension for Miami — creating opportunities for teammates.
Andrew Wiggins provided an early perimeter spark with 12 points, hitting four three-pointers, while Bam Adebayo added 10 points and six rebounds.
Miami's bench then kept the pressure on.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 14 points without missing a field-goal attempt, Pelle Larsson added 13, while Nikola Jović, Boogie Mbeng and Ian Schieffelin each reached double figures.
That scoring balance may be one of the more interesting developments to monitor as Miami moves through the preseason.
Raptors Show Flashes, But Miami Controls the Game
Toronto had some encouraging individual performances despite the defeat.
RJ Barrett finished with 15 points, while Scottie Barnes contributed 11 points in limited minutes.
Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles collected nine rebounds, and Jamal Shead distributed eight assists.
Toronto, however, struggled to convert its opportunities consistently.
The Raptors finished at just 39.4% from the floor and 29.3% from three-point range. Miami also controlled the glass 55–43.
Toronto did force 25 Miami turnovers, an encouraging defensive number, but the Raptors were unable to translate enough of those possessions into sustained offensive momentum.
Kawhi Leonard was held out of the game as Toronto managed its new star during preseason preparations.
SE360 ANALYSIS
The final margin matters less than what both teams were trying to accomplish.
For Miami, the encouraging sign was not simply winning by 24 points. It was seeing multiple players contribute while the starters played relatively short minutes.
Giannis functioning as both an interior threat and facilitator alongside Adebayo could create difficult decisions for opposing defences once Miami begins using its full rotation.
For Toronto, this was much more about evaluation.
There were positive moments from Barrett, Barnes and several younger players, but shooting efficiency and defensive rebounding will be areas to monitor as the Raptors continue preparing for the regular season.
And with Leonard still to be incorporated, this was far from a complete picture of Toronto's potential lineup.
SE360 FINAL BOARD
Winner: Miami Heat
Final: 129–105
Biggest Positive: Miami's scoring depth
Key Stat: Heat 48.8% FG vs Raptors 39.4%
Player to Watch: Giannis Antetokounmpo — nine points and seven assists in only 14 minutes
SE360 Verdict: A strong first look at Miami's revamped roster. The Heat showed depth, size and offensive options throughout the rotation, but with this being Game 1 of preseason, the bigger question is how those pieces develop once regular-season minutes and rotations begin.
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SE360 sports coverage is provided for news, analysis and entertainment purposes. Preseason performances should not be treated as reliable indicators of regular-season results.