Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Miami runs winning streak to four games
MIAMI — The Miami Heat admit they dug themselves a hole at the start of the season.
Finally, they appear ready to crawl out.
The Heat continued their remarkable secondhalf run by defeating the Toronto Raptors 104-89 Saturday at AmericanAirlines Arena. It was their fourth straight victory, keeping them a half game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
“We just want our games to matter,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I think this is great.”
The Heat have arguably been the best story of the NBA since starting the year 11-30. They look to keep the momentum going Sunday at the Indiana Pacers, another team they are chasing in the standings.
Miami has now won 21 of the last 25 games. Still, the Heat were unable to gain ground on the Detroit Pistons, who defeated the New York Knicks earlier in the day. A Milwaukee loss Saturday would have put the Heat in the No. 8 spot, but the Bucks held off the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“There is sometimes a perception that the season doesn’t start until the postseason,” Spoelstra said. “That is not why this was all created years ago. This is about competition and having nightly tests against another team, measuring yourself and working through adversity.”
Guard Dion Waiters led six players in double-figures with 20 points on 6 of 10 shooting, including four 3-pointers. Guard Tyler Johnson had 16 points off the bench while Goran Dragic added 15. Center Hassan Whiteside finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
After leading by many as 25 in the second half, the Heat held off a late Raptors rally. Toronto used a 12-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to pull to within 92-81 with 5 minutes, 11 seconds remaining.
A pair of free throws by James Johnson and a Whiteside allowed the Heat to extinguish the run.
“They’re a hard-playing team,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “You have to respect where they come from and how they’ve gotten there. They do it with defense, hard play and by shooting the ball extremely well.”
The Heat wasted little time to display that shooting. They made their first seven shots, including four 3-pointers. They led by many as 10 in the first quarter but the Raptors kept it close thanks to 14 secondchance points off six offensive rebounds.
The Heat (32-34) then broke it open in the second quarter, outscoring the Raptors 27-15. Toronto was at a disadvantage considering they were playing without All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry and forward DeMarre Carroll.
Lowry missed his ninth straight game because of a wrist injury while Carroll was a last-minute scratch due to a sore ankle. Without their second-leading scorer and top player off the bench, the Raptors were forced to rely heavily on guard DeMar DeRozan.
After scoring 11 points in the first quarter, DeRozan was held scoreless in the second when the Heat gained control. After leading 59-41 at halftime, the Heat kept the pressure on. DeRozan finished with 17 points on 5 of 16 shooting.
The Raptors were obviously frustrated by the struggles. They were called for five technical fouls. Forward Patrick Patterson was ejected in the fourth quarter after picking up two while arguing a call.
The only negative for Miami was losing Dragic in the third quarter. He left with 11:19 remaining after being elbowed in the right eye by Raptors guard Cory Joseph.
By then, the Heat were well on the way to another victory. Included in the show were a pair of highlight-worthy dunks by Tyler Johnson. His last — a one-handed slam — brought the crowd to its feet and gave the Heat a 82-58 lead.