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Raptors host Heat in Game 1 on Tuesday
By: Zach Cohen - StatFox
Published: 5/3/2016  at  10:39:00 AM
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MIAMI HEAT (52-37)

at TORONTO RAPTORS (60-29)

NBA Playoffs
Eastern Conference – Round 2
Tip-off: Tuesday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Line: Toronto -4.5, Total: 191.5

The Raptors will be looking to take a 1-0 series lead when they host the Heat in Game 1 on Tuesday.

Both the Heat and the Raptors are coming into this series after winning at home in their respective Game 7s. Miami dismantled Charlotte, winning 106-73 as a 6.5-point favorite. The Heat shot 48.3% from the field in that game and they also held the Hornets to a miserable 32.1% shooting. They’ll be hoping some of that momentum carries over into this Game 1 on Tuesday. The Raptors, meanwhile, are coming off of an 89-84 victory as six-point favorites against the Pacers. Toronto shot just 38.2% from the field in that game and nearly choked it away as well. That does not matter for the team, though. They had not won a playoff series since 2001, so any victory was going to be extremely satisfying. One thing worth noting is that these teams met four times during the regular season and the Raptors went 3-1 both SU and ATS in those contests. Toronto is also going to be confident coming into this one, as the team is 7-0 ATS after failing to cover in four of its past five games this season. PF Chris Bosh (Blood Clot) remains out indefinitely for the Heat, but nobody else is expected to miss this game for either team.

The Heat are coming off of a blowout victory over the Hornets and they’ll now be hoping to steal Game 1 in Toronto on Tuesday. SG Dwyane Wade (19.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.0 BPG in playoffs) is going to need to be on his game in this series. He’ll have a tough matchup with DeMar DeRozan and he can’t afford to be outplayed drastically. It’s important that Wade maintains confidence in his jumper, as he’ll need to knock down a few in this series. PG Goran Dragic (14.1 PPG, 4.1 APG in playoffs) will also need to be on top of his game on Tuesday. Dragic was outstanding in Game 7, finishing with 25 points, six boards, four assists and a block in 32 minutes of action. It was his best game of the postseason and he’ll now need to stay aggressive in a matchup with his former teammate, Kyle Lowry. One last guy that will be counted on heavily is C Hassan Whiteside (13.1 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 3.4 BPG in playoffs). Whiteside had five blocks in Game 7 and Miami will need him to continue to own the paint defensively moving forward. His matchup with Jonas Valanciunas will be an exciting one and Whiteside will need to use his athleticism to his advantage. The x-factor in this game just might be PF Luol Deng (19.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG in playoffs), though. Deng is shooting 51.3% from the outside in the playoffs and has been incredible defensively. If he can continue to play solid two-way basketball then the Heat are going to be tough to beat moving forward.

The Raptors barely escaped the first round, but that was something that the team needed to do. Toronto had failed to win a playoff series since 2001 and now has a giant weight lifted off of its shoulders. One guy that will need to step it up in the second round is PG Kyle Lowry (13.9 PPG, 7.6 APG, 1.3 SPG in playoffs). Lowry has really struggled in the playoffs, shooting just 31.6% from the floor and 16.3% from the outside. That poor shooting from the outside wouldn’t be a major issue, but he is taking 6.1 threes per game. Lowry needs to either start making them or stop taking them as often. SG DeMar DeRozan (17.9 PPG, 1.6 SPG in playoffs) should be feeling very confident for Toronto coming into this Game 1. DeRozan came up big in Game 7 last round, finishing with 30 points, five boards, three steals and two blocks in 40 minutes of action. He’ll need to use his quickness to really give Dwyane Wade issues on both ends of the floor. It’s also important that his jumper starts to fall, though. Like Lowry, DeRozan has struggled from the floor and is shooting just 31.9% from the field in the playoffs. That number must go up and it must do so soon. C Jonas Valanciunas (13.6 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 1.4 BPG in playoffs) is going to also be extremely important for the Raptors in Game 1 and this entire series. Valanciunas is a monster around the rim, but he’s going to need to find a way to stay effective on both ends of the floor against the insanely athletic Hassan Whiteside.


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