You might say the Miami Heat had to win Game 1 twice after blowing a six-point lead late in the fourth and surviving a half-court heave that sent the game into overtime. Toronto’s all-star backcourt continues to struggle and even one miracle on Tuesday wasn’t enough to guarantee victory.
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LETDOWN
The Raptors got a second chance on Tuesday when Kyle Lowry drained a game-tying three-pointer from midcourt at the final buzzer to send the game into overtime. The prayer was answered and the ACC crowd hoped it would re-energize a hometown team that had looked to be playing at half speed for most of Game 1. But what looked like a breath of new life turned out to be a last gasp. Just five minutes after bedlam in the arena, the Raptors and their fans were laid low once again as Miami took Game 1 and home court advantage away from Toronto.
Miami’s backcourt carried the load while Toronto’s dropped one on Tuesday. Lowry and DeMar DeRozan were pretty damn good this season, but despite all the talk of monkeys removed from backs and brand new leases on life after outlasting the Indiana Pacers in the opening round, the Raptors’ backcourt still looked uncomfortable.
INJURIES
Dwyane Wade went down clutching his right knee late in the fourth quarter but stayed in the game. It’s a good thing, too. He scored seven points in the extra session, one more than the entire Toronto team. “I’m sure it will be bruised but it’ll be fine,” Wade said.
Miami got another scare when Hassan Whiteside strained his right knee when he slipped with five minutes left in the first quarter. He limped to the bench and left for the locker room but returned later in the second quarter.
KEY MATCHUP
The Heat squeaked by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round without much assistance from point guard Goran Dragic. He opened that series with a 2 of 8 dud and struggled to regain his rhythm. His defense had cracks he couldn’t cover and his offense through six games was mostly quiet and inefficient.
Snapping out of a mini-slump, Dragic delivered two of his best games of the season when the Heat desperately needed him. He broke through with a 25-point gem in Sunday’s Game 7 win over the Hornets and proved Tuesday that his fiery offense made the long trip up from South Beach. He matched a season-high with 26 points on 10 of 20 shooting, confirming whatever playoff jitters he may have had are now gone.
QUICK PICK
After losing a six point lead in six seconds and watching a half-court buzzer beater go against them, the veteran Heat refocused and gained control in the overtime. It would have been easy for them to hang their heads, distraught over what transpired in those waning moments, and let victory slip through their fingertips. But Miami did no such thing.
And a game Toronto had no business even taking to overtime, let alone winning, was there hanging in the balance. We could argue that the Raptors were close even with Lowry netting just seven points and DeRozan still unable to find the basket. If they play just a smidge better, shoot a tad straighter than maybe this game is won by the Raptors in regulation. We waited the entire Pacers series for them to get going and now we have to wait until Game 2 of this NBA series. But the all-stars will get going.
NBA Odds: Toronto 104, Miami 97
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