Tested but never broken.
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Led by 35 points from Kyle Lowry and 28 from DeMar DeRozan, the they dominated the Miami Heat 116-89 Sunday afternoon in the seventh and deciding game of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Lowry earned a well-deserved standing ovation, posting 35 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in Toronto.
Regardless of the outcome of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors series, no one’s beating the Golden State Warriors this season.
“I had great people supporting me throughout my struggles”, Lowry said. “I just wanted to ask them how it felt for them to be in the playoffs, in a Game 7 moment”. DeRozan didn’t exactly fix his postseason shooting woes – he shot 12-of-29 from the field – but he found a way to be productive and help Toronto win. But in a series that was a competitive grind, he made the necessary shots. I don’t know. If you’re not ready to play today, if you’re not jacked up today, you’re in the wrong profession.
“They brought us here”, Joseph said. “I’ve been in this thing a long, long time, and I’ve never seen scorers forget”. That’s what makes this organization, first class because they all hold themselves accountable.
Casey developed that philosophy over decades of coaching stars as an assistant at the University of Kentucky and the Seattle SuperSonics. “They always listen to us, they’re always working hard and those guys have a bright future”. They were mired in an ugly, tight, second-round series against the Miami Heat, and he and his all-star backcourt mate, DeMar DeRozan had played most of the post-season like the basket was moving. “Now we know who we’re playing and now we can get focused and now we can lock in on what we’re trying to do”.
By the time Biyombo had put his huge paw prints all over the quarter, the Raptors’ lead had been pushed to 75-58 with five minutes left in the third quarter. In the postseason, DeRozan is averaging 19.4 points, Lowry 17.4 points.
However, the Heat fought, battled, and willed its way to a Game 7 and you have to commend them for their effort. For a country. For a city. Biyombo was sensational filling in for injured center Jonas Valanciunas as he gave Toronto 41 minutes and responded with 17 points and 16 rebounds while also blocking two shots. Game 2 is Thursday, then the series returns to the Air Canada Centre for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday. The Raptors are plus-76 with Lowry on the floor through the first two rounds of the playoffs, and minus-54 without him. Those demons have been vanquished.
The numbers suggest Toronto doesn’t have the range, efficiency or the firepower to contend with Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals showdown that begins on Tuesday at The Q. However, the Cavaliers won’t take them lightly.
They became the 15th team in National Basketball Association history to win two Game 7s in the same postseason, and before tipoff, Casey said, “If you’re not jacked up to play today, we’re in the wrong profession”.
There’s not a lot of time to enjoy it. They lost to the higher-seeded Raptors, who won a franchise-record 56 games in the regular season to clinch the No. 2 seed in the East. With no Canadian hockey team in the NHL playoffs and the Blue Jays playing.500 ball, a nation’s sporting eyes have been on the Raptors this spring. Despite having six players in double-digit scoring – led by Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic, who had 16 points apiece – the Heat weren’t able to get it done in Game 7. Coach Erik Spoelstra explored creative lineups, searching for a combination that could scratch out a win. Lowry flashed his entire game Sunday, hitting threes off the dribble, getting to the line and pushing the ball for easy scores in transition. If Lowry keeps up his Game 7 play, he can hang with Kyrie Irving. It was the type of performance that inspires thoughts of keeping the band together; of doubling down on the band.
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Raptor fans have been subjected to more heartbreak and frustration over the last 21 years than most fanbases in professional sports.
