Not their previous shooting struggles.
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Asked how his thumb felt, DeRozan said, “It felt like a blowtorch was on my hand”.
The Heat and Raptors are deadlocked in a 2-2 tie as their Eastern Conference semifinal series heads back to the Air Canada Centre in Toronto for Game 5 on Wednesday as part of the National Basketball Association playoffs.
The Heat, though, have the 34-year-old Wade, who is averaging 27.3 points in the series, playing as if he has turned back his odometer.
“Last series, they were giving me a lot of shots, so I was more aggressive and taking my shots”. Over the past few games, Wade has carried the bulk of the load offensively for Miami. We have faith in those guys.
“And now they have to ramp it up again for the next game”.
Lowry and DeRozan made just six of 28 shot attempts for 19 combined points in Toronto’s 94-87 overtime loss in Game 4 on Monday. His 11-for-22 (50 percent) effort from the field was his highest shooting percentage in a game in this postseason.
At this point, the Toronto Raptors will go as far as DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry will take them.
“Thousand-dollar shoelaces, that’s all I can say”, DeRozan said after the game of the rather unique treatment.
Toronto led by as many as 20 points (55-35) in the first half but was cut down to one point in the dying minutes of the fourth stanza.
“When he goes in a crowd now, they are going after his thumb and rightfully so”. The Raptors took another timeout, and with another offensive possession, they kept DeRozan on the floor. I think it’s part of the adjustments you have to make. I can live with that. “Just have to play through as best I can and deal with it later”.
“Our team feeds off our energy”, Lowry said. Just a slow start for us. Lowry went off for 33 points in Game 3, but followed up that performance with just 10 points on 2-of-11 shooting in Game 4.
Game 5, like the previous four games in this series between the Raptors and Heat, was not a showcase for high-quality basketball. The Raptors are no exception.
Bismack Biyombo had 10 points for Toronto, which can clinch its first conference finals berth with a win in Game 6 at Miami on Friday.
“I think it speaks for itself. The energy that he brings on both ends is awesome”, DeRozan said of Biyombo’s impact. “Especially when he did the Usain Bolt [celebration]. It wasn’t our best stuff, but we got it done”.
Heat forward Luol Deng, who had four points, left the game earlier in the second half with a wrist injury. Another injury is not what the Raptors need. One big factor for Game 5 will be the absence of C Hassan Whiteside, who missed Game 4 and will miss Wednesday’s game as well with a knee injury.
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The victor of the Eastern Conference semifinal series draws top-seeded Cleveland in the conference finals. Given what they’ve been through in this freaky postseason, that’s pretty impressive.
