Raptors can’t handle the Heat | Toronto Sun
The 107-102 loss was the first defeat of the season for the Raptors, dropping their record to 2-1, and it was the 16th straight win for the Heat over Toronto. If nothing else, the Raptors got the wakeup call they needed courtesy of a Heat team that may no longer have LeBron James to lean on but still has a competitive group that looks like it can give any team in the NBA a tough night. They certainly laid one on the Raptors through three quarters, eventually holding on for that five-point win in a game that finished much closer than it actually felt.
Heat hand Raptors first defeat | Toronto Star
It’s early — 79 games left is eons in the NBA world — but the time to nip bad habits in the bud can’t come too soon, and even a solid fourth quarter against Miami can’t provide any solace. “We have to play that way through the whole game and not just decide, ‘Oh, we gave up 60-some in the first half, now we have to play defence,’ ” said DeMar DeRozan, who led Toronto with 30 points. “We can’t keep that mindset. We have to play like we did in the fourth quarter. We have to.” But they haven’t, and that’s the issue to be dealt with. Toronto hasn’t been crisp in every facet of the game any night this season, and it was more the skill level of opponents than anything the Raptors did that allowed them to get two straight wins. Even without LeBron James, Miami is good and exposed the Raptors. Dwyane Wade looked rejuvenated with 19 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, Chris Bosh had 21 points and 11 boards and Miami put up a 64-point first half.
Heat off to a perfect start with win over Toronto Raptors | The Miami Herald
“It was a good win, particularly having to go through the motions of having to play against a very good opponent,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We didn’t even necessarily execute extremely well down the stretch, we just found a way and that was encouraging to see.” Put together with Saturday’s win in Philadelphia, in which five Heat players scored in double-digits, Miami seems to have settled into its “equal opportunity” offense, as Dwyane Wade called it. Every Heat player who saw minutes scored, and five different players again scored in double-digits. Bosh led for the third consecutive game with 21 points, Wade turned in 19 points, and both had 11 rebounds to end the night with a double-double each. Miami outrebounded Toronto by a whopping 43 to 28.
Recap: Raptors Fall 107-102 In Miami | Raptors HQ
The Raptors went into Miami hoping for a 3-0 start to the season, but allowed the Heat to shoot near 60% from the field for most of the game (they finished 35-for-70, 50%) and played three lackluster quarters before putting in a much better effort in the fourth. By then, they were trailing by 10 points, and while they cut the lead to single digits and came close to making it a one possession game at various points, they weren’t able to make up for their lack of effort in the first 36 minutes, falling 107-102. The defense was so frustrating.
Post Game: Toronto Raptors fall short against Miami Heat | Raptors Cage
Toronto’s shortcomings did not appear in its field goal percentage (46.8%) or its final score (102). Instead, the nagging deficit was attributed to a surprising lack of output at the free-throw line from all players. The team shot 24-39 from the stripe for a startling 61.5%. It’s more than safe to assume that Dwane Casey addressed this issue during and after the game, and will instill its impact before the next game. Aside from foul line troubles, DeRozan and Lowry both did an excellent job of finding scoring opportunities and facilitating runs. Unfortunately, they received little help from the rest of the team. Patrick Patterson started in place of Johnson, yet failed to produce a single point or rebound in 15 minutes of action. Additionally, the team shot just 25% from three-point range. The sole reason for this game’s close finish was the ability of the star guards to penetrate and attack the basket. DeRozan also showed a consistent midrange jumpshot which further rounds his personal offensive game. The lesson learned tonight is: maintain your focus and aim for consistency on both ends of the floor.
Heat slay Raptors at home 107-102 to go 3-0 to start the season | Hot Hot Hoops
While the rookies and reserves were very good it was through the offensive talents of both Chris Bosh and Luol Deng that Miami was able to maintain a consistent ten-point lead for much of the game and allow them to go into halftime with a 16 point lead. The Heat looked almost unstoppable in the third quarter where they went on offensive tear while simultaneously limiting offensive possessions for Toronto. Nevertheless, things appeared sloppy in the fourth quarter and through missed free throws and poor decision making Miami let Toronto slip back into the game. Regardless, they were able to close out in the final seconds and deliver Toronto’s 17th straight defeat in South Beach.
Quick Recap: Raptors beat themselves up in Miami | Raptors Watch
The Heat were scoring at will in the first quarter, shooting a scorching 67% and going on a 14-2 run. Dwyane Wade had a huge hand in that, turning back the clock and starting the game 4-of-4. It wasn’t until he checked out that the Raptors were able to go on a mini run and cut the lead to 31-26. Still, the Raptors weren’t getting any offensive production outside of DeRozan who had 13 first quarter points. The ball movement was shockingly bad, and the Raptors had just one assist in the entire first quarter. The Raptors made an adjustment in the second quarter by putting James Johnson on Dwyane Wade. It was a great decision. If you didn’t watch the game, James Johnson was the Raptors’ best player tonight, and really the only bright spot. His defense all night was stifling and his energy on the offensive end was productive.
Miami Heat Game Recap | All U Can Heat
…the Heat must have been drunk in that fourth quarter. They shot 4 for 17 from the field during the quarter, and their last make was a three-pointer from Williams with 4:29 to go in regulation. What’s particularly annoying is that only 4 of those field goal attempts came in the paint, as the Heat were settling for contested jumpers in the fourth and weren’t getting good opportunities in the paint. Not to mention the fact that Miami went to the line 19 times, but only made 11 of those shots. Even Bosh, a career 80% shooter from the line, was only 3 for 6. The Heat need to take care of these chances when they present themselves. Their saving grace was that the Raptors weren’t that much better at the line in the quarter (5 for 9).
Skolnick: ‘Good to Great’ a Difficult Leap for Raps | Bleacher Report
That’s why Sunday’s struggle against Miami, while not definitive, was instructive, in terms of emphasizing how difficult this next step, from good to great, can be. At one point Sunday, the Heat had connected upon a comical 31 of 49 shots from the field, continuing the exceptional ball movement that they’d also surprisingly shown in the season’s first two games and causing Casey to later lament that “we’ve just got to decide collectively to guard people; I didn’t think they felt us all night.” The Heat recorded 22 assists to the Raptors’ 11 and generally looked like the team counting on its continuity—that word again—to propel it to early and sustainable success this season.
Sunday night winners and losers: Boogie wonderland | ProBasketballTalk
The Heat are the only undefeated team left in the Eastern Conference, picking up a 107-102 win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. We knew they would be playing with a chip on their shoulders, but there have been plenty of questions about the health of Dwyane Wade and the readiness of Chris Bosh to step into the role of first option. So far, so good on both fronts. Bosh has been phenomenal since the start of the season, and finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Wade was terrific too, logging 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting, 11 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks against Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas. Time will tell whether he can stay on the floor, but Heat fans have to be encouraged by the post-LeBron era so far.
Dwyane Wade Feels DeMar DeRozan Isn’t Popular Because He Plays For Toronto Raptors | Hoops Addict
The easy – and natural reaction – would be for fans to recall that Vince Carter reached the peak of his popularity at Air Canada while playing for the Raptors. It would also be easy to tell Wade to look a couple of lockers down at teammate Chris Bosh and remember that Bosh’s best years as a professional were played in Toronto. But the reality is those comments from Wade will sting basketball fans across Canada.
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