The game started off miserably for the Miami Heat.
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The series now shifts to Miami for game three on Saturday and game four on Monday before returning back to Toronto for game five on Wednesday.
“Once they see it go through [the hoop], the floodgates open up”, Casey said.
That the Heat came this close to a victory was astounding.
Toronto centre Jonas Valanciunas had nine fourth-quarter points to help erase what was once a seven-point Heat lead.
Toronto made just 42 percent of its shots compared to Miami’s 49.4 percent, but the Raptors survived.
Meanwhile, DeRozan, the second coming of Rudy Gay in terms of volume shooting, was making just enough to remain on the floor.
But that was as good as it got for the Heat, who were outscored 10-6 in OT, with Cory Joseph sealing Toronto’s win with a pair of free throws.
Goran Dragic is cool with getting hit in the face.
At halftime, the Heat announced that he received three stitches on the inside of his lip and five on the outside due to his bottom teeth going through his lip. And neither could the Raptors. After a Miami timeout, Dragic tied with a 3 with 10.5 seconds left. Coach Dwane Casey praised him after the game, so maybe the Raptors make him more of an offensive focal point. May. “If we do”, he said. We have to pursue him in cross-screens. “We have to do a better job understanding the score and situation”.
The Game 2 overtime played out nearly the exact opposite as the extra period did in Game 1.
If the Raptors want to play a normal game, it might mean redistributing some of the offensive load to Valanciunas, who appears ready to take on that responsibility. He ended up with 13 points…
Dwayne Wade was the problem for the Raptors in Game 1.
The Raptors won on Thursday because the Heat passed the ball to the wrong team early and often.
Carroll – who scored a team-high 21 points in 39 minutes Thursday – called Valanciunas a man-child in the low post. Neither, it seems did previous starter Patrick Patterson… Luckily for the Raptors, they won’t have to consider that fate. The Raps hit 3-for-11 in the first half. A few are examining their coaching situation. Maybe he needs to cut back on the Red Bull… “It’s gonna get only worse”. The Raptors shot 30% in the third as the lead evaporated.
DeRozan and Lowry combined to go 16-for-46 from the field. Thus far in the playoffs, they have only been above that number once.
This approach usually lands him at the free-throw line, which serves as a safe haven for volume shooters. Expect a heavy dose of more Dragic and Wade with Hassan Whiteside anchoring the paint. Wade had a big three in the fourth quarter, which is something he rarely takes… Valanciunas only has a 21.1 usage rate with a very good 59.3 true shooting percentage in the postseason, so the Raptors should be finding ways to get him more shots. They were taken all the way to seven games in the first round by the Indiana Pacers, although even that was an improvement on the last two years where they were knocked out in the first round, despite promising so much.
Toronto kept the lead in double digits for most of the half, but a wobbly finish allowed the Heat to trim it to 48-41 before the horn sounded. “He covers a lot of space and you have to respect it. It’s not hesitant of me, it’s that he’s a hell of a shot blocker and defender, so you just have to be in the right spot and try to figure out the right positions to get the ball to the glass”.
DeMar DeRozan, whose approach on offense is essentially an exercise in reaching the foul line, stood at the stripe for two critical shots in the fourth quarter. The Heat is having difficulty with its bench.
Portland is down 2-0 in its Western Conference semifinal series against the defending National Basketball Association champions.
And as Lillard goes, often the rest of the Trail Blazers follow.
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Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports)Toronto Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll (5) controls the ball against Los Angeles Clippers during the second half at Staples Center.
