After splitting the first two games of their season series, the Heat and Raptors tangle north of the border for the first time. Toronto looks for some separation in the Atlantic Division during its seven-game homestand while the Heat are playing on the road for the ninth time in their last 10 games.
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TRAVEL/SCHEDULING/LETDOWN/LOOK AHEAD
For the first time in nearly two weeks, the Miami Heat were home. The stopover was brief and unproductive, resulting in a 91-79 loss to Milwaukee. Miami just completed a six-game road trip with a blowout loss at Oklahoma City and the one-game homestand is all the Heat get before embarking on another long trip. Their stay lasted less than 48 hours before they headed out again, hardly enough time to solve all the injury and illness problems that are decimating the roster right now.
January for the Heat has been particularly daunting. When the schedule came out, this looked to be a challenging time for Miami. The Heat played 23 of their first 35 games at home and are paying for that now with a stretch where 11 out of 12 are on the road. The Heat went 2-4 SU and 3-3 ATS on the preceding trip, and hit the road for another five-game swing that started Wednesday in Washington. Miami’s 26th ranked scoring offense has the under at 26-14-1 overall and 5-12-1 in away games.
INJURIES
Heat point guard Goran Dragic is out indefinitely with a calf strain and will be reevaluated next week. His replacement, Beno Udrih, sustained a neck injury that forced him to miss several games. Forward Josh McRoberts has been sidelined for six weeks with knee pain and Chris Anderson missed Monday’s contest with a bone bruise.
DeMarre Carroll underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on January 6. There is no definitive timetable for his return, though early estimates suggest he will miss between six and eight weeks.
KEY MATCHUP
They are not overly dynamic, nor do they produce the “oohs” and “ahhs” of the jaw-dropping athletes who can dominate the game. But the ruthless efficiency of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry is becoming the trademark of what’s looking like a tremendous Toronto Raptors basketball team. There’s no doubt they feed off each other and drive opponents to distractions. DeRozan is one of the best in the NBA at getting in the lane to either get fouled, make a shot, or dish off to an open teammate. Lowry has had stretches of deadly outside shooting and made a career-best seven three-pointers in Monday’s win. The two have developed a strong bond in their three-and-a-half seasons together in the Raptors’ backcourt and on Monday they each scored at least 30 points in the same game for the first time. After that outburst, DeRozan says he and Lowry are “extremely comfortable” taking control down the stretch. Facing a Heat squad that’s banged up in the backcourt means Toronto’s duo could again put up some big numbers.
ODDS AND PREDICTION
Dwyane Wade had both aching shoulders taped but he gutted it out because the team needed him. Dragic could barely walk and Udrih can’t turn his head. That’s the state of the Heat backcourt. Needless to say, the performance wasn’t pretty in a loss to Milwaukee. The banged up group goes back on the road and battles Toronto in the second of a five-game trip, it’s the eighth road game in the last nine for the Heat and likely a time when coach Erik Spoelstra tries to get his team in playing shape. Don’t expect much from Miami, and certainly not a win against a Raptors club that has perhaps the finest backcourt duo in the Eastern Conference. DeRozan and Lowry are playing their best ball of the season, feeding off each other and they have Toronto on top of the Atlantic Division standings once again.
Toronto 101, Miami 89
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