Miami Heat vs Toronto Raptors: Three Takeaways From Game 1

DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors injures his hand late in the second half of Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Miami Heat during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at the Air Canada Centre on May 3, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

On a night the Toronto Raptors played poorly, they very almost pulled off a victory after Kyle Lowry’s long-distance buzzer-beater forced overtime.

Goran Dragic had a game-high 26 points for Miami, and Dwyane Wade added 24 points, six rebounds and four assists. Shortly after building the lead to 10 points, the Raptors went on a 12-4 run to cut the HEAT lead to two points with 1:03 left in the game.

Credit the Raptors for coming back and clawing their way back from the dead to force the overtime period, but the Heat can’t afford to close out games playing this unorganized and sloppy.

“D-Wade did a great job of reading the play and jumping toward the ball, trying to take the ball away from me”, DeRozan said. It was the kind of bucket that seemed destined to lead the Raptors’ commemorative DVD of playoff highlights, but it was rendered meaningless when the Raps went on to lose 102-96 in overtime. They lost 93-86 to Washington in Game 1 of the first round last season.

That would end up being Lowry’s only three-pointer of the game, as he shot 3-13 from the field and 1-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Valanciunas, with 10 points, and DeRozan (eight) scored all of Toronto’s points in a first quarter that saw the Raptors briefly hold a six-point lead. The Raptors turned it over 15 times, leading to 16 Miami points, while the Heat had 20 turnovers, leading to 22 Raptors points. DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points and Terrence Ross added 19 points off of the bench.

“We are at our best when he’s aggressive and making plays for us” Spoelstra said of his starting point guard.

“You talk to me if we get four wins in this series, and I’ll answer that question”, the Heat guard said after Wednesday’s practice. I just have to go out and play. Casey continues to point to other areas in which Lowry can impact the game, whether it’s attacking the basket, pushing the ball in transition, or using what he describes as Lowry’s bulldog mentality to be a factor on the defensive end.

“It’s surprising to me that he’s struggled in the playoffs because I know him well”, Dragic said.

But teammates and opponents alike said don’t count him out yet.

With the Warriors up 2-0, despite playing both games without injured star Stephen Curry, the best-of-seven series moves to Portland for Game 3 on Saturday. We have to believe in him.

“We need his scoring, we need his shooting until Kyle gets his jump shot going again“, Casey said of Ross.

The Raptors were outshot by Miami 49 per cent to 42, outrebounded 45-39.

An All-Star two times running, his shot’s been AWOL against Miami this season (just 34 percent in the four prior games) and even worse (31.6 percent) in the seven-game series against Indiana. The Raptors won 56 games this year and finished just one game behind the Cavaliers for the best record in the East because of Lowry.