As both went through shooting slumps during the play-offs, Raptors coach Dwane Casey stayed with them even as the criticism mounted.
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The Raptors did get some good numbers from Bismack Biyombo, along with Cory Joseph and Terence Ross, though it is the Raptors’ defense that needs to toughen up. He left the game in the fourth quarter, but did return. DeRozan’s first two shots of the night looked like so numerous clunkers he’d taken in recent games – bad from the instant they left his fingers. DeRozan said. “We just told ourselves we were going to continue to be aggressive and it was going to come back around”. DeRozan tied his playoff high with 34 points in Game 5.
DeRozan went 11-for-22 from the field and 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.
Wade scored 20 for Miami. Veteran SG Dwyane Wade led the team with 30 points off 13 for 24 shooting in the victory.
“I will have a lot of say”, he said. “Unfortunately, from there we couldn’t”. DeRozan made a pair of free throws and, after a Miami turnover, Lowry made a long 3-pointer to put Toronto up 93-87 with 52 seconds left.
Making his first trip to the playoffs since joining the Heat, the 31-year-old has averaged 14.3 points and 6.1 rebounds over the course of 12 contests thus far. DeRozan also made two free throws with 21 seconds left and made two more with nine seconds remaining to increase the lead to eight points and clinch the win. But more importantly, DeRozan got to the line 11 times and was ideal from the charity stripe.
With their loss on Wednesday, the Heat must now overcome a 3-2 series deficit for the second time this spring.
Toronto led 28-18 after the first.
The Toronto Raptors jumped out to a 9-0 lead against the Miami Heat and built a 20-point lead.
“We have enough guys that are confident in the team and ability to get the job done”. “It’s been our biggest nemesis”. X-rays were inconclusive, and he will have an MRI on Thursday to determine the extent of the injury. The big men are out of the equation, with the Heat’s Hassan Whiteside reportedly not suiting up and the Raptors’ Jonas Valanciunas out for the rest of the series.
“Whatever it takes”, Spoelstra said. When Carroll got up, he headed slowly to the Toronto locker-room in obvious pain, holding his left wrist. The team said that the X-ray results were negative. DeRozan took a hard hit to his bad thumb, and made a beeline for the locker-room. “Thousand dollar shoelace”, DeRozan joked at the podium afterward. Your best bet for a Heat vs. Raptors live stream online is available via TNT Overtime.
As the players lined up for the playing of “O Canada” during the pregame, Wade was at the basket putting up a few extra warmup shots for about 20 seconds after the anthem started. Carroll was 5 for 5 in the quarter after a 1-for-5 start, and Toronto led by six late in the third before taking a 62-60 edge into the fourth.
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Deng originally injured the wrist in the first half trying to brace himself after tripping over a cameraman.
