The Miami Heat fell to the Toronto Raptors by a final score of 101-81 on Friday to extend their losing streak to four games.
Not only has Miami dropped four straight decisions, but it has also lost seven of its last eight games. The long stretch of losses can be attributed to a myriad of injuries. With starters and reserves both unavailable, head coach Erik Spoelstra has had difficulty finding healthy bodies on a daily basis.
In this one, the Heat were forced to play without Hassan Whiteside, Luol Deng or Goran Dragic. With three starters down, the Heat rolled out a starting lineup that consisted of Amar'e Stoudemire, Justise Winslow, and Tyler Johnson.
Without Beno Udrih to fill in for Dragic, Johnson was given another start. The point guard had been a productive player off Miami's bench, but has struggled mightily as a starter. The Heat simply do not have another option however, and have been forced to run Johnson out there each game.
Johnson ended up with only four points on 2-7 shooting despite playing most of the game. Winslow fared better with nine points and eight rebounds. If not for, the nine boards Udonis Haslem collected off the bench, Winslow would have led the team in that department.
Chris Bosh to his credit did all he could while spending most of the game on the court. Bosh played 39 minutes in what was a lopsided game for parts of the night. The All-Star ended up with 26 points and seven rebounds in the loss.
Miami's road trip will next take it to Chicago for a game against the Bulls on Monday.
