Game Day: Raptors @ Heat
Matt Tierney - Raptors.com
Time: (6:00PM ET - SNET1, SN590)
The Raptors (5-1) finish up their four-game road trip in Miami tonight where they'll take on the Heat (3-3). Toronto’s unbeaten start to the season came to an end Friday in Orlando as they lost a tight contest against the Magic. The Raps will be looking to rebound versus another Eastern Conference foe in Miami who have alternated wins and losses to start their season.
WHO’S HOT?
Chris Bosh – It’s good to see the ex-Raptor back on the court healthy this year as Bosh was forced to sit out a large part of last season due to injury/health issues. So far he is averaging a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The versatile forward has also led his team in scoring in two of Miami’s six games to start the season.
Jonas Valanciunas – It was a tale of two halves on Friday as Valanciunas was forced to the bench for much of the first half after picking up three quick fouls. Once the second half started, he was a man possessed and checked out of the third quarter after grabbing 11 rebounds, a Raptors franchise record for a quarter. The Lithuanian International has also averaged a double-double with 14.5 points and 11 rebounds per game, ranking him in the top six in the league in that category.
Toronto Raptors at Miami Heat: Sunday game preview
http://www.thestar.com/sports/rapto...aptors-at-miami-heat-sunday-game-preview.html
Raptors at Heat
AMERICAN AIRLINES ARENA
Tipoff: 6 p.m.
TV: Sportsnet One
Radio: Sportsnet 590
Probable starters
Toronto: Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, DeMarre Carroll, Luis Scola, Jonas Valanciunas
Miami: Goran Dragic, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng , Chris Bosh, Hassan Whiteside
Key matchup: DeMar DeRozan vs. Dwyane Wade. A battle between two of the league’s best shooting guards. There are other factors for the Raptors, like DeMarre Carroll’s plantar fasciitis issues, but from an entertainment standpoint alone, this will be a fun one. Despite scoring 23 on Friday, DeRozan will be salty about his team’s loss to the Magic. Wade might have more of an edge, having scored just nine points in Friday’s loss to the Pacers.
Need to know: Whiteside is the league’s second-leading shot blocker, with 3.67 blocks per game . . . Wade is nine points shy of passing Scottie Pippen in career scoring. Wade has 18,932 points, 52nd all time . . . Cory Joseph’s 19 points on Friday were a season high. The Pickering-bred guard has led the bench in scoring in three of the Raptors’ six games . . . The Raptors remain a tough defensive team. They’re seventh in defensive efficiency points (points allowed per 100 possessions). Their 95 points allowed per game is sixth in the league and they’ve out-rebounded their opponents in all six games for a plus-49 margin.
Next up: Tuesday vs. New York, 7:30 p.m.