Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Postseason hopes on fumes
Heat need to win final 3 games, help from Bulls, Pacers for playoff berth
TORONTO — The math for the Miami Heat now gets fuzzier than the 5 of 22 they shot in the first quarter of Friday night’s 96-94 loss to the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre.
Because at 38-41, not only is a winning record out of the question from this climb from 11-30 at midseason, but so appear to be the playoffs.
Not only do the Heat find their final three games — Saturday at Washington and then home Monday and Wednesday against the Cavaliers and Wizards — as must win, but there now also must be help.
With Friday’s loss, their fifth in the last eight games, the Heat fell a full game behind the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls, at No. 9 in the East.
The Pacers close out their schedule against the Magic, 76ers and Hawks. The Bulls finish up against the Nets, Magic and Nets. Because the Bulls have won the tiebreaker, the Heat would need Chicago to lose at least twice.
Unlike the recent showdown victories for playoff survival, against the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets, there simply wasn’t enough at the finish, even as the Heat pushed all the way back from an 18-point second period deficit to tie it midway through the fourth.
The gritty effort came with Heat President Pat Riley and Heat General Manager Andy Elisburg looking on in the arena where the Heat’s playoff run ended last season in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
It was as ugly as possible early.
If it wasn’t center Hassan Whiteside being forced to the bench just 3:17 into the game with his second foul, it was
James Johnson missing all six of his shots in the first quarter and the Heat closing the period 1 of 7 on 3-pointers.
And with Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan following up his 40-point performance in the teams’ most recent meeting by scoring 25 of his 38 in Friday’s first half, it stood as an uphill battle after initially grabbing a seven-point lead. James Johnson led the Heat with 22 points, with Goran Dragic scoring 18.
Going in, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, “There’s been so much narrative around the league about regular season games don’t mean anything. They’re not watching our games.”
And yet with the push that still could leave the Heat with the NBA’s best record over the second half of the season, there wasn’t enough at the finish.
Again without Dion Waiters and Luke Babbitt, the Heat were not immediately equipped to handle Whiteside’s early foul trouble, with his second coming with 8:43 left in the opening period, while contesting a pass at the 3-point line, and his third with 7:04 left in the second period, for an illegal screen.
For his part, Raptors coach Dwane Casey said going in, “If Miami makes it in, you definitely don’t want to see Miami in the first round.”
That now appears a long shot.
Babbitt missed his second consecutive game with a strained right hip flexor, with Waiters missing his 10th consecutive game with a sprained left ankle. James Johnson made his second start of the season, again replacing Babbitt, with Josh Richardson filling in for the 10th consecutive game for Waiters.
The Raptors, by contrast, had a completely healthy and available roster for only the third time of the season, in their 80th game of the season.
Whiteside’s fourth foul came with 10:44 to play while going for a loose ball, returning to the bench at that stage.
The Heat then drew within 75-71, before Kyle Lowry drained a 3-pointer, only to be matched by one from Wayne Ellington.
Ellington then converted another 3-pointer, with seven minutes to play, to draw the Heat within 79-77, with a James Johnson free throw cutting the deficit to 79-78.
Patrick Patterson then pushed the Raptors back to an 82-78 lead with a 3-pointer, with a James Johnson inside attempt bringing the Heat within 82-80.
Finally, with 4:43 to play, a Whiteside dunk tied it 82-82.
That’s when Serge Ibaka stepped up with a 3-pointer for an 85-82 Raptors lead with 4:21 left.
Whiteside then scored inside to bring the Heat within 85-84, only to commit his fifth foul seconds later against DeRozan, who made only the second of his two free throws for an 86-84 Raptors lead.
Then, with Whiteside seeking to avoid disqualification, Lowry scored in transition for an 88-84 Toronto lead, with DeRozan following up with a layup with 1:52 left for a 90-84 Toronto lead. A pair of DeRozan free throws with 1:41to play put Toronto up 92-84.
And, still, there was fight, with a James Johnson layup making it 92-88. But, ultimately, too little, too late.
With Whiteside coming around with his game and avoiding a fourth foul, and with DeRozan scoring only four points in the third period, the Heat closed within four late in the third period and went into the fourth within 75-70.
After falling behind by 18 in the second period, the Heat got back within 53-43 at the intermission, despite standing at .341 from the field and 3 of 15 on 3-pointers in the first half, with nine turnovers.
For the second consecutive game, Whiteside attempted just one shot in the first half, again scoreless at the intermission.
His first points did not come until he completed a 3-point play with 5:40 left in the third period.
The opening period closed with the Heat 5 of 22 from the field, 1 of 7 on 3-pointers and down 26-19. The Raptors closed the first period on a 12-2 run.
James Johnson, who shot 10 of 12 in Wednesday’s victory over the Hornets at the start of this three-game trip closed the first period at 0 for 6. DeRozan scored 16 for Toronto in the first quarter.
“There’s been so much narrative around the league about regular season games don’t mean anything. They’re not watching our games.” Erik Spoelstra, Heat coach