Narratives? The Toronto Raptors don’t need no stinkin’ narratives in the Eastern Conference finals.
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Lowry, meanwhile, was satisfied that he had been able to turn around a protracted slump in form to lead the Raptors into the conference finals.
The Toronto Raptors overwhelmed the Miami Heat 116-89 in the seventh and final game of their Eastern Conference semifinals series on May 15 in Toronto. The positive spin on this is that the Heat and the Raptors are evenly matched opponents who make things hard for the other team.
“I think we’ve done everything we’ve set out to do, but we’re not done yet”. “I did what I could”.
Things got chippy midway through the fourth quarter as Toronto started pulling away. “But it would’ve been awesome”. The Heat did not have a viable traditional option up front behind Whiteside, while the Raptors did have one behind their big man.
Raptors coach Dwane Casey says the challenge posed by Cleveland will be “another step for us” as his team chase the ultimate dream of an NBA Finals victory.
“We didn’t play big in our last game and they won the battle but tonight we did”, Casey said.
Dwyane Wade and his teammates had a lot to say after losing Game 7. Both the Heat and the Raptors emerged victorious from a full seven-game series in the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs. Now they have won two; first in an apprehensive finish against the Indiana Pacers and second in impressive fashion against the Miami Heat on Sunday.
But early on the Raptors had answered the fundamental question, simply, would they come to play with so much at stake, or would they weaken in the moment?
They had a great season, finishing third despite not having Chris Bosh after the All-Star break. Lowry had 29 of his 33 points in the second half of Game 3, and then went for 25 in Game 5 followed by a postseason career-high 36 in Game 6.
Lowry had 35 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds and 4 steals on 11 of 20 shooting, and became the only Raptors player to have back to back 35 point Playoff games. Ultimately, the season caught up with the Heat.
All of which makes getting this far – into the Eastern Conference final, farther than any Raptors team has ventured since the franchise was born 21 seasons ago – especially sweet. “We exhausted all of our possibilities. We did everything we possibly could”.
Sometimes moving toward something bigger defines a successful season. Retaining both will be the top priority for the Heat, who are likely to have at least $40 million in salary-cap space to address roster needs. Hassan Whiteside suffered a sprained knee in Game 3 and never returned. “Would love to have played more but, for the most part, it was a successful year from a health standpoint”. DeMarre Carroll is yet to really have a breakout game in these playoffs as he continues to deal with a tweaked ankle and bruised left wrist while Jonas Valanciunas remains without a timetable for his return, so that’s just going to put more pressure on the Raptors’ backcourt duo of Lowry and DeRozan to shoulder the majority of the scoring burden.
“I’m not saying we can do that”, Casey said. “They’re such a great transition team, such a great penetrate, pick-and-roll team that you try to stop everything and you don’t stop anything”.
Beno Udrih expressed interest in being back with the Heat before he was waived late in the regular season, Joe Johnson said when he chose Miami in February that he was intending to be with the team for more than just the 2015-16 conclusion, Dorell Wright wants to stay and Amar’e Stoudemire showed at times why Miami wanted him last summer.
The Raptors poured on the points in a 12-2 burst, stretching their lead to 75-58.
Josh McRoberts, on the feeling in the locker room: “You’re disappointed”.
“It was no big message”, Wade said. “They just kept pushing me, and kept telling me to do what I can do and see what happens”.
“This time it was all about our satisfaction”, Patterson said.
Wade turns 35 next season, his 14th in the National Basketball Association.
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But that prime time playoff showdown with LeBron?
