With both Game 1 and Game 2 of the Raptors vs. Heat series going into over-time, the anticipation for this game was high. Now just being a best-of-5 series, the Heat headed into Game 3 in Miami, confident that they can turn their game 2 woes around and take a series lead.
The Raptors came out the gates strong, taking a 9-4 lead quickly, and finishing off the quarter 23-19. In the 2nd quarter the Heat came out with more energy, eventually taking a 1 point lead, but the energy was drained out of them when Hassan Whiteside was sidelined for the rest of the game with an apparent knee injury. Jonas Valanciunas‘ continued strong play has put the Heat in a position where they need to help in the post, causing open shots for the Raptors. At half, Jonas already had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, leading to a 49-40 lead for the Raptors. There was one bright spot in the half for the Heat, as Dwyane Wade passed Dirk Nowitzki for 13th all time in Playoff scoring.
But from what we’ve seen through the first 2 games of this series, the games are a “tale of 2 halves”. In the 3rd, the momentum was still the Raptors, until Jonas Valanciunas sustained an ankle injury, that would make him not able to return to the game. With both starting Centers gone for the Raptors and Heat, the momentum was there for the taking. The Heat ended off the 3rd quarter tying it up after Dwyane Wade scored 11 points late to give momentum to the Heat leading into the 4th.
The Heat carried the momentum to an early 6 point lead in the 4th. The battle was back and forth throughout the 4th, but Kyle Lowry and the Raptors were too much for the Miami Heat. Lowry scored 29 of his 33 points in the 2nd half, including 5, 3-pointers. With Valanciunas out of the game, the momentum was there for the taking for the Heat. The 4th quarter really seemed like Dwyane Wade vs. Kyle Lowry, with Wade scoring 11 and Lowry scoring 14. There was a ton of speculation throughout the Playoffs about the play of the Raptors stars, especially Kyle Lowry. After this game, hopefully some of that doubt has dissipated and now the Raptors take a 2-1 series lead, heading into Game 4 on Monday. DeRozan added 19 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 12 rebounds to put the Heat to rest. Wade was really the only player who got it going for the Heat all game, scoring 38 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Both Hassan Whiteside and Jonas Valanciunas’ x-rays came back negative which means there were no fractures or breaks, but their status is still questionable heading into Game 4 on Monday.
