The Miami Heat travel to face the Toronto Raptors at Amalie Arena on Friday.

The Heat (6-7) enter this matchup winning their last two games, with the most recent victory coming against these Raptors. The best news about this recent run is the fact that they've been doing it with Jimmy Butler sidelined. The perennial All-Star continues to miss games due to COVID protocols but there's some thought that he'll return by the end of the week. What his absence has done is open up opportunities for Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn and Goran Dragic. The thing that has held them back is their 24th-ranked defense though and that's something you just don't see from a Miami team. Getting Butler back in the fold will eventually help on that end of the floor and one has to believe that a winning streak is right around the corner for a talented team like this.

The Raptors (5-9) have been one of the biggest disappointments in the NBA but they've been playing better recently. That loss to Miami actually snapped a three-game winning streak for Toronto and it looks like things are turning around despite the loss. What's hard to understand is why Chris Boucher continues to come off the bench. Aron Baynes has five combined points over the last six games and has started all of them. Boucher is averaging 18.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks over his last nine games and is coming off the bench. If you can understand why they are doing this while posting a 5-9 record, you're smarter than me. In any case, a team with Boucher, Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam will eventually get out of this hole, making this a team to fear in the second half.

These teams played on Wednesday, with Miami prevailing, 111-102. Prior to that, the Raptors won five of their previous seven games over the Heat dating back three years.